For us, play-offs have already begun: Rayudu

Mumbai Indians notched up their first back-to-back wins this season with a eight-run victory over Rajasthan Royals but their batsman Ambati Rayudu conceded that his side will have to play each game as a must-win to make it to the play-off stage of the IPL cricket tournament.

"Our play-off has already started, to be honest. We need to take each game as such and try to go that extra mile (in every game)," said Rayudu who scored an 53 while coming in at number five to help Mumbai beat Rajasthan by eight runs here last night.

Rayudu featured in a partnership of 61 runs in just 30 balls with West Indian Kieron Pollard to pull Mumbai out of a mid-innings rut and post a winning score of 187.

Mumbai had started the tournament with four losses on the trot before arresting the trend and yesterday's win was only their third in eight games and the second at the Wankhede Stadium this season.

They stared at a defeat when Rajasthan wicketkeeper Sanju Samson was blasting away to a fine 76 off 47 balls before New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan dismissed him and Karun Nair off successive balls in the 18th over to tilt the balance in favour of the home side.

"It was definitely Samson the way he batted. It was a brilliant innings. I am happy that we ended up on the winning side," Rayudu said at the post-match press conference when asked at which point Mumbai thought they had wrapped up the game.