With a 30-run victory over the Mumbai Indians on Sunday, the Rajasthan Royals secured the final play-off berth in the Indian Premier League thanks to a standout performance from England’s Jofra Archer.
Archer moved up to number seven in the batting order and hit a 15-ball 32 to help Rajasthan rise from a shaky 119-5 to 205-8 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Then, despite Suryakumar Yadav’s 60, he performed in his core job as a fast bowler, taking 3-17 as Mumbai finished on 175-9.
With the help of their 15-year-old batting phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, former champions Rajasthan defeated Punjab Kings in fourth place to finish the playoff lineup with 16 points. With 14 points at the end of the league stage, Punjab needed Rajasthan to lose in order to extend their season.
The outcome also put a stop to the Kolkata Knight Riders’ faint hopes.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad had already secured their playoff positions.
The first Qualifier between Bengaluru and Gujarat is scheduled for Tuesday. The victor advances to the final, which will take place in Ahmedabad on May 31.
On Wednesday, Hyderabad and Rajasthan will square off in the Eliminator; the victor advances to the second Qualifier, while the loser is eliminated from the competition.
Rajasthan lost their openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal, for 27, and teenage sensation Sooryavanshi, for 4, against England spinner Will Jacks and Indian seamer Deepak Chahar when they were forced to bat first.
Before Rajasthan were five down in the 13th over, wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel blasted 38 and Dasun Shanaka of Sri Lanka hammered 29 off 15 balls.
Archer counterattacked with three sixes and a four while walking two spots over his typical number nine. Despite his departure in the 18th over, he helped Rajasthan amass 73 runs from the final five overs with the help of Nandre Burger, who scored 10 off three balls, and Ravindra Jadeja, who hit an 11-ball 19.
Then, in the opening over, Archer sent back Rohit Sharma, who had been caught behind for a fourth-ball duck, shaking Mumbai with the ball. Five-time champions Mumbai quickly crumbled to 38-4 when he bowled Naman Dhir for 6 and fellow quick Burger dismissed Ryan Rickelton for 12.
Suryakumar put up crucial stands, notably a sixth-wicket partnership of 48 with captain Hardik Pandya, who hit 34. Rajasthan’s route to the playoffs was cleared when Archer broke the stand by dismissing Pandya and Suryakumar in the 18th over.
