Stokes, Samson power Rajasthan to big 8-wkt win over Mumbai (Ld)

Abu Dhabi, Oct 25 (IANS/GloFans) Ben Stokes (107 not out) and Sanju Samson (54 not out) made a mockery of a target of 196 Mumbai Indians (MI) had set for Rajasthan Royals (RR) as they helped overhaul it with eight wickets and nearly two overs to spare in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Sunday.
It was Stokes’s second IPL century and his highest score in T20s. RR ended their innings on 196 for two wickets in 18.2 overs in reply to table toppers MI’s 195/5 wickets in 20 overs.
Despite the defeat, MI remain perched at the top position with 14 points from 11 matches while RR moved to the sixth place with 10 points from 12 games. The competition for the fourth is heating up.
Each team plays 14 league matches, at the end of which the top four teams qualify for the final, to be played on November 10.
Stokes’s century not only garnered a much-needed win for the Royals — who are still afloat in the league — but also outshone Hardik Pandya’s blitzkrieg (60 not out, off 21 balls) which had earlier propelled MI to a competitive looking total.
Chasing the challenging target, RR lost opener Robin Uthappa (13) and Steve Smith (11) early with their scorecard reading 44/2 in 4.4 overs. Both the RR players were picked by James Pattinson (2/40).