ENGLAND fast bowler Jofra Archer starred with bat and ball as Rajasthan Royals secured the final IPL play-off spot with a 30-run win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
Promoted to number seven, Archer smashed 32 off 15 balls to help Rajasthan recover from 119-5 and post 205-8 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
He then led the bowling attack with figures of 3-17 as Mumbai were restricted to 175-9 despite Suryakumar Yadav making 60.
Archer now has 21 wickets in 14 matches this season and is third on the list of wicket-takers behind Kagiso Rabada and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who both have 24.
"I don't think this is my best season," said Archer. "Every time I take the ball, I have to hit good areas. Not always rewarded, happy it came on an important day."
He added: "I class myself as an all-rounder but folks call me a bowler."
The win took Rajasthan to 16 points and confirmed their place in the play-offs. Punjab Kings finished the league stage on 14 points and needed Rajasthan to lose to stay in contention.
The result also ended Kolkata Knight Riders' slim qualification hopes.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad had already qualified for the play-offs.
Bengaluru will meet Gujarat in the first qualifier on Tuesday, with the winners advancing to the final in Ahmedabad on May 31.
Hyderabad will take on Rajasthan in the eliminator on Wednesday. The loser will exit the tournament while the winner will progress to the second qualifier.
Asked to bat first, Rajasthan lost openers Yashasvi Jaiswal for 27 and teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for four to England spinner Will Jacks and India seamer Deepak Chahar.
Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel made 38 while Sri Lanka's Dasun Shanaka hit 29 off 15 balls before Rajasthan slipped to 119-5 in the 13th over.
Archer, usually batting at number nine, counter-attacked with three sixes and a four.
After Archer fell in the 18th over, Ravindra Jadeja hit 19 off 11 balls and Nandre Burger struck 10 off three deliveries as Rajasthan scored 73 runs in the final five overs.
"Last five overs are always difficult. If you can stop one or two boundaries, you can keep teams 12-15 runs short," said Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya. "Conceding 73 in the last five cost us too."
Archer then struck early with the ball, dismissing Rohit Sharma caught behind for a fourth-ball duck.
He also removed Naman Dhir for six while Burger dismissed Ryan Rickelton for 12 as Mumbai slipped to 38-4.
Suryakumar tried to revive the chase and shared a sixth-wicket stand of 48 with Pandya, who scored 34.
Archer broke the partnership by dismissing Pandya, and Suryakumar's wicket in the 18th over ended Mumbai's hopes and confirmed Rajasthan's place in the play-offs.
