Maheesh Theekshana delivered a crucial breakthrough for Rajasthan Royals (RR) by dismissing the well-set Ryan Rickelton during Match 50 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The Sri Lankan spinner ended a dominant 116-run opening stand between Rickelton and Rohit Sharma that had put Mumbai Indians (MI) in the driver’s seat early on.
Rickelton, who has been enjoying a rich vein of form this season, continued his superb run with a fluent knock. The left-hander played with great intent and composure, expertly negotiating the early pace threat posed by Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi. His crisp strokeplay and controlled aggression allowed MI to seize early momentum against a usually disciplined Rajasthan bowling unit.
The South African brought up his half-century in just 29 balls, peppering the boundary rope with seven fours and clearing it thrice. His innings was not just fluent, but strategic, allowing Rohit Sharma the space to settle in and play second fiddle in the opening stages.
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However, Theekshana, known for his deceptive pace and subtle variations, brought the breakthrough RR desperately needed. In the 12th over, he delivered a quicker one that skidded in on the leg stump. Rickelton attempted an aggressive swipe across the line but missed the ball completely. The delivery crashed into the leg stump, sending it cartwheeling and giving Theekshana his moment of celebration.
Twist in the tale, courtesy #RR spinners 🪄
The Royals roar back into the game with 2️⃣ quick wickets of #MI openers 💪
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2025
Rickelton walked back after scoring a fine 61 off 38 balls. His stand with Rohit marked only the third time a Mumbai Indians opening pair had stitched a 100-plus partnership against the Rajasthan Royals. While MI laid a strong foundation, Theekshana’s timely strike brought RR back into the contest.
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Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
