Guwahati, April 7 Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi unleashed a blistering display of power-hitting to propel Rajasthan Royals to 150/3 in their rain-affected IPL match here on Tuesday.
Jaiswal (77 not out off 32 balls) and Sooryavanshi (39 off 14) hit a flurry of boundaries, including nine sixes combined, in an opening partnership of 82 runs in just five overs.
Jaiswal anchored the innings with authority, blending elegance with brute force as he struck 10 fours and four sixes in his knock, dictating terms from the outset.
With the contest reduced to 11 overs a side, Jaiswal came out with clear intent, dismantling Deepak Chahar in the very first over to collect 22 runs with a series of audacious strokes, which included a crisp four through midwicket, a towering six, and three more boundaries that set the tone for the onslaught.
Teen sensation Sooryavanshi matched his senior partner stroke for stroke, showing remarkable composure as he took on Jasprit Bumrah (0/32 in 3 overs), dispatching him for a six before following it up with another towering hit over deep square leg.
Jaiswal welcomed Trent Boult (0/22 in 1) by dispatching him for three sixes, as the duo made full use of the powerplay, racing to 59 in just 3.2 overs in a start that resembled a highlight reel.
While Hardik Pandya (0/17 in 2) managed to slip in a tidy four-run over, the Royals' openers continued to punish anything loose from the MI pacers.
Shardul Thakur bore the brunt next, conceding two sixes and a four to the rampaging Sooryavanshi before having the last laugh, with Tilak Varma pulling off a sharp catch at deep extra cover to end the youngster's explosive cameo.
Mumbai Indians clawed back briefly through Allah Ghazanfar (2/21), who trapped Dhruv Jurel (2) leg-before and later had Riyan Parag (20) caught at long-on.
But Jaiswal remained unfazed, continuing to dominate the bowling effortlessly. He brought up a scintillating half-century off just 23 balls with a stylish cut through point. He ended the innings with another hit to the boundary to take the Royals to the 150-run mark.
