Ben Stokes struck a memorable IPL century in a batting masterclass on Sunday as the Rajasthan Royals beat the Mumbai Indians by eight wickets in Abu Dhabi.
With the Royals reeling at the bottom of the IPL log, a spirited performance was needed if they were to get the better of the inform Mumbai, who have all but secured their spot in the playoffs.
And, after a pretty solid effort with the bat, inspired by an unbeaten 60 off only 21 deliveries by Hardik Pandya, Mumbai posted 195-5 in their 2o overs.
That came in light of Proteas skipper Quinton de Kock only adding six at the top of the order after he chopped one onto his own stumps off a Jofra Archer delivery.
But, Stokes was in a destructive mood again and finally came good at opening the batting for the Royals as he batted his way to one of the best run-chases in IPL history with an unbeaten knock of 107 off 60 balls.
The Englishman received valuable assistance down the order by Sanju Samson, who also notched up a handy half-century of his own.
Stokes’s heroics saw the Royals over the line with ten deliveries remaining in what would’ve been a massive morale booster for the final few pool games.
