IPL 13: Smith seeks improvement after RR suffer third successive defeat

The Rohit Sharma-led team scored 193 runs after opting to bat first. Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets while James Pattinson and Trent Boult picked two wickets each in the match as Rajasthan Royals were all out on 136 runs.

Abu Dhabi [UAE], October 7 (ANI): After facing a third consecutive defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith expressed disappointment with the team’s batting performance but said there is no need to “panic too much”.

Mumbai Indians put out a very dominating performance to trounce Rajasthan Royals by 57 runs here on Tuesday.

---

The Rohit Sharma-led team scored 193 runs after opting to bat first. Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets while James Pattinson and Trent Boult picked two wickets each in the match as Rajasthan Royals were all out on 136 runs.

Jos Buttler was the highest run-getter from Rajasthan Royals, scoring 70 runs during the chase.
After scoring 200+ runs in their opening two matches, Rajasthan Royals’ batters have struggled in the recent matches. In the previous match, the team scored 154 runs and before that, the team only managed to put 137 runs on the board while chasing a target of 175 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders.

“I think losing wickets early doesn’t help, we haven’t been able to get off to a good start in the last three games. Outside of Jos and Archer at the end, we have a bit of work to do on our batting. He (Stokes) is not out till the 10th I think. He is not too far away, hopefully, we can get a few wins before he’s back and then gain momentum,” Smith said during the post-match presentation via host broadcaster Star Sports.

“I don’t think we need to panic too much, it is just about implementing our plans and playing some good cricket for longer. We haven’t been able to do that in the last three games and we have to turn it around quickly. Hopefully, get a bit of momentum,” he added.
Also, Mumbai Indians have claimed the top spot on the points table with this win.