It was yet another evening to forget for Mumbai Indians after they suffered their third consecutive defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday (April 1). This time it was Riyan Parag and Rajasthan Royals who handed them the loss after the former scored an unbeaten 54 off 29 to guide his team home for a six-wicket win. The Indian batter has been in superb form at No.4 having continued his exploits from the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) where he was batting at the same position.

Riyan opens up on impressive show in SMAT

ALSO READ | IPL 2024: RR continue unbeaten start by deflating lacklustre MI at Wankhede, win by 6 wickets

“When I play domestically, this is the exact type of situation I go in to bat,” Riyan told the host broadcaster after the game. “When Jos [Buttler] bhai got out and Ash [R Ashwin] bhai got out a little after, I was like ‘this is what I do, this is what I’ve been doing for the last six months playing domestic cricket’. So it was pretty simple to calculate everything.”

“I went back after the [last] season and practised very hard, and I think that’s showing now. I’ve practised [against] these types of quick balls and these kinds of scenarios a lot, hence the performances,” Riyan added.

Riyan leads Orange Cap race

Needing just 126 runs to win in 20 overs, Mumbai Indians were never in the contest having lost momentum at the start. Rajasthan on the other hand had a superb show with both bat and ball with Riyan’s fifty seeing him go level with Virat Kohli for most runs in IPL 2024. He now has 181 runs in three matches, same as Virat who will be in action later on Tuesday against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Bengaluru.

A better average saw Riyan leapfrog the duo and will be looking for an impressive run in the side as he continues to hunt for a place in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. Riyan will also be eyeing a place in the Indian side that will tour Zimbabwe in July if he misses out on a place in the World Cup.

After Monday’s win, RR remain the only unbeaten side in the IPL 2024 and sit on top of the pile with three wins in three matches. They will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday (April 6).

You can now write for Baazigarnews.com and be a part of the Baazigar family. Share your stories and opinions with us here.