May 1, 2025: Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) hopes of making it to the playoffs were officially dashed on Friday after a crushing 100-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2025 fixture. The loss, which came in front of a disappointed home crowd in Jaipur, saw RR become the second team to be knocked out of the tournament, joining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an early exit.
While the result was a blow to the Royals’ aspirations, the match was filled with moments of excitement and entertainment, particularly one bizarre incident that left fans in splits. The game was not without its highs and lows, with some spectacular performances from MI players, including a knock from Suryakumar Yadav that stood out, and some disappointing moments for RR, like the early dismissal of 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was dismissed for a duck off just two balls.
However, it was the unexpected comedy in the second innings that will likely go down in IPL history. In the ninth over, Dhruv Jurel smashed a flat six over extra-cover off MI spinner Karn Sharma. What followed was a moment that could have been scripted for a comedy show rather than a cricket match. As the ball sailed over the boundary, it vanished into the area where photographers were stationed, and a search ensued. MI players, including Suryakumar Yadav, were seen scrambling around trying to locate the ball, with no luck.
The search turned into a delay that had the entire stadium waiting for the game to resume. Amid the confusion, it was revealed that the bowler had already picked up a second ball to continue the over, but the search persisted as players continued to hunt for the missing cricket ball. After a brief moment of chaos, the ball was finally found, allowing the game to continue, though it added an unexpected and amusing delay to the proceedings.
Despite the on-field drama, the loss to MI marks the end of RR’s IPL 2025 campaign, leaving them out of the race for the playoffs. However, there’s a silver lining for the team as they continue to develop younger talents like Suryavanshi. The 14-year-old, though dismissed cheaply in this game, has been a crowd favorite and is seen as a future star of Indian cricket. RR’s focus will likely shift toward nurturing these young players and building a team that can bounce back stronger in the future.
As for MI, the victory solidifies their place as one of the top contenders for this year’s IPL title, and they will head into their remaining fixtures with renewed confidence.
While the result of the match will sting for Rajasthan Royals, the fun and unexpected moments of the game, particularly the ball fiasco, will give fans something to laugh about for a long time.