MI vs RR | It's good that Kolkata Knight Riders play before us, says Rohit Sharma as IPL 2021 playoffs race intensifies

Jimmy Neesham and Nathan Coulter Nile stood out with the ball after Rohit Sharma opted to field, combining for seven wickets while conceding just 26 runs in eight overs between them. The Rajasthan Royals were restricted to a mere 90/9 in a must-win game.

"We had to come here and do what we had to do, which was to get the two points,” said Rohit after the win. “It was a chance to improve our run rate as well. We got off to a flier, and we said there is a chance for us to up the run rate. It was the perfect game for us to do that. Kishan is playing after a couple of games, so we wanted him to take his time. I didn't say anything to him [after he played a maiden]. All we wanted for him was to play his shots, which is what he did.”

MI’s net run-rate (NRR) took a massive boost from -0.453 to -0.048, and helped them climb two spots to take the fifth position in the points table. However, they’d still have to depend on the Kolkata Knight Riders’ last game result (against RR), even if they do win their last league fixture against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi on Friday, October 8.

“(On playing Sunrisers Hyderabad last) All eight teams are capable of beating each other. But the good thing is that KKR plays before us, so we know what to do," Rohit said.

“Just tried to keep it simple. Was a tough wicket to bat on,” said Coulter Nile as he received the Player of the Match award. “Just tried to change the pace a little. It was sticking a little. I am not fussed when I am bowled. There are world-class bowlers in our side and I hope they can pick a few wickets up front to make my job easier.”