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Don’t have words to tell: Sanju Samson on his last ball-dismissal vs Punjab Kings

Rajasthan Royals newly-appointed captain Sanju Samson played one of the finest innings of his career after he scored 119 off 63 balls but in a losing cause in Mumbai on Monday. Chasing a mammoth 222 in 20 overs, RR were off to a disappointing start after Ben Stokes who opened the innings for the Royals went back to the hut without opening his account. 

Samson who came in at number three first stitched a 45-run stand with Jos Buttler for the third wicket and then had a couple of good partnerships with Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag that gave the Royals some hope of going over the line. Though they eventually failed to do so Samson's fine knock attracted a lot of praise from all around. 

Talking about his innings, the high-handed batsman told that he only started to play his shots after getting his eye in. 

“The second part of the innings was the best I ever played. In the first part, I was not timing it very well. I took my time, respected the bowlers, took singles and got into a rhythm and then I started to play my shots in the second half,” he said at the post-match presentation.

Samson took the onus on himself to take the team over the line. RR needed 5 off the last two balls when he denied the single and decided to back himself to go for a big one on the last ball. 

The wicket-keeper batsman did connect the ball from Arshdeep but somehow found a fielder in the deep to get dismissed at deep extra cover. Rajasthan lost by 4 runs. Expressing his disappointment about the same, Sanju said that he did time the ball well but couldn’t clear the ropes.

“I don’t have words to tell, very close game, came close but unfortunately.. I don’t think I could have done anything more,” he said. 

“I timed it well, but unfortunately couldn’t clear the man in the deep. It’s all part of the game. We thought the wicket was getting better and we could chase the target down. Despite the loss, I think the team played really well,” he added. 



 

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His absence is a big void for me: Chetan Sakariya on his late younger brother

Rajasthan Royals pacer Chetan Sakariya who made his IPL debut on Monday against the Punjab Kings has gone through a lot before getting picked by RR in the mini auctions earlier this year for a sum of Rs 1.20 Cr. The left-arm bowler lost his younger brother who committed suicide. In a chat with The Indian Express after being signed by RR, Chetan talked about his brother and getting picked by the Royals. “My younger brother committed suicide in January. I wasn’t at home, I was playing Syed Mushtaq Ali at that time. I didn’t know he had passed away until I returned home. Even then, my family didn’t share the news with me. I used to ask them about Rahul’s whereabouts and they would tell me ‘he has gone out’. Sometimes , they would say he had ventured out to buy groceries. This absence is a big void for me. Had he been here today he would have been more happy than me,” said the 28-year-old left-arm pacer. Chetan had a decent start to his IPL career against Punjab Kings after he returned with figures of 3/31 in 4 overs in Mumbai on a track that had a lot to offer to the batsmen. RR missed a win by whisker after newly-appointed captain Sanju Samson took the onus on himself to finish the job while chasing a mammoth 222 but unfortunately failed to take his team over the line. Needing five off the last delivery, Samson connected the length ball pitched outside off from Arshdeep well but found a fielder in the deep to get dismissed for 119 off 63. RR were eventually restricted to 217/7 eventually. Earlier, riding on some brilliant batting from skipper KL Rahul who notched up 91 off 50 and some brisk hitting from Chris Gayle and Deepak Hooda, Punjab posted 221/6 in 20 overs. RR will now take on Delhi Capitals on April 15 while Punjab will play CSK on April 16 at Wankhede Stadium.

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IPL 2021 | PKBS vs RR - Hits & Flops as change of name just about pays off for Punjab

The new, refreshed, rejuvenated Punjab Kings just about held on in an absolute nail-biter of a game in the fourth match of the Vivo Indian Premier League against Rajasthan Royals on Monday, 13 April at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In what turned out to be a six-hitting contest between the teams Kings pipped the Royals in the final delivery of the match-clinching the victory by four runs weathering a Sanju Samson assault. The newly appointed Rajasthan captain lived a charmed life in Mumbai on a fine Monday evening taking full advantage of being dropped by the Kings multiple times throughout the game. Samson, famous for his elegance, presented his full arsenal of deft touches and almost chased down the mammoth target set by KL Rahul and his men. But more on that later. Before that, let us talk a little bit about the build-up to this encounter. There are several franchises in the history of the sporting world that have rebranded themselves in an attempt to change their luck. In IPL specifically, Kolkata Knight Riders did it after a couple of dismal seasons. From an elegant black and gold jersey, that looked rather good on the eye, they shifted purple, and well, gold. Mind you that the change did bring them two trophies in 2012 and 2014, albeit, it was probably more because of the team that they set up under Gautam Gambhir. Now assuming that you believe in that kind of voodoo, Punjab’s change of name and match kit also brought a change of approach in their playing style. Ridiculed for their lack of intent in the batting line-up, Punjab Kings looked to amend things as quickly as possible. Easier said than done, Punjab were yet again stuck in the powerplay scoring just 46 runs off the first six overs. With captain KL stuck at 15 off 13 balls, things looked ominous for the Punjab franchise. Visibly frustrated KL Rahul knew that he had to shake things up. Timing his innings to perfection from there on, KL Rahul started finding his range with one boundary per over. He reached his 30-ball 50 in the 13th over of the game and from there it was just carnage. Putting the balls away to every part of the ground, Rahul at the end of his innings in the final over had managed to score a 50-ball 91 at a strike rate of 182, well above the rate he scored last season (129). Why talk about Rahul here you ask and not in the hits section? Because, actually, he kind of, failed to make it. It was just that type of day today in the IPL. So, without further delay, let us get into our Hits and Flops of the day. #1 Deepak Hooda There are only two reasons why KL Rahul does not make this list, one obviously is the Samson century and the other one is Hooda. Before Rahul found his range and unleashed hell from the 14th over, Hurricane Hooda was already batting at a strike rate of 200, 20 off 10 to be precise. Now mind you, Hooda walked into the park in a tricky situation with the Punjab unit poised at 89/2 in the 10th over with Gayle and Mayank Agarwal having gone back to the pavilion. Getting an uncapped Indian player who had not played competitive cricket since IPL last year ahead of a seasoned, in-form Nicholas Pooran was a brave call. But the confidence paid off. The number 4 bludgeoned the bowlers in the middle overs and set the stage perfectly for the rest of the big hitters to come. The pair weaved a partnership of 105 runs in just 47 deliveries, where the Rohtak born was the primary aggressor, scoring 64 runs off just 28 balls. #2 Chetan Sakariya Chetan Sakariya is not your run of the mill story. Hailing from Bhavnagar, Sakariya grew up as a tennis ball player and comes from a very humble family who found it difficult to make ends meet. Sakariya is the lone breadwinner for his family in the last few years after his father had to shut his tempo business due to ill health. There is an expression in football that warriors are made in the most extreme of circumstances. Sakariya’s spell today exemplified that. Playing his first game in the IPL, Sakariya stole the limelight with his exceptional seam position and his ability to move the ball both ways. Things did not start very pretty though. He was baptised in fire by Punjab openers who hit the ball running scoring two boundaries off his first over. Sakariya was not going to give up, people with his kind of mentality do not give up. He returned for his second over, gave just a single run and dismissed Mayank Agarwal. He would later come back to bowl his final two in the death where a similar story would transpire. He would get hit for 15 runs in the 17th over and then would once again come back to pick two wickets in the final over of the first innings. If that was not enough on debut, he also grabbed a fantastic chance at fine leg off Chris Morris bowling to dismiss the dangerous Nicholas Pooran. #3 Sanju Samson There has never been a shred of doubt about the amount of talent Sanju Samson possesses. Elegant stroke maker who can change the direction of the play inside a couple of overs, the cricketing world has been waiting for several years for Samson to come of age. Only, he hasn’t. Consistency has been an issue with him and if today’s innings was any indication, it still might be. Punjab Kings’ fielders were guilty of dropping him twice in the early part of the chase but that should not take anything away from what Sanju Samson achieved tonight. En route his third hundred of the IPL, Sanju’s measured attack was pleasing to the eyes. Offered half volleys in a plate, the RR captain kept grazing the balls through the gaps. He kept Rajasthan in the game till the last ball, and if his last shot of the day would have come off, this could easily have been ranked as one of the best T20 knocks ever played by the batsman. Samson defiant 119 off 63 balls is the 10th highest score in the history of the IPL and is the joint second-highest runs scored in a chase. Flops #1 Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson The Australian speedsters welcome in the Indian Premier League was not a good one. Especially Meredith who was welcomed by Jos Buttler with 4,4,4,4 in his first four balls. Both bowlers were guilty of bowling too full in Indian conditions and that error cost the Punjab Kings 104 runs in between their eight overs. The idea behind getting the two speedsters as coach Anil Kumble put it was to strengthen the franchise’s death bowling. While Meredith bowled a brilliant 19th over picking up a wicket at the cost of eight runs, that does wash the blood off his hands. The speedsters showed glimpses of brilliance hurrying batsmen at occasions with their ability to skid the ball off the surface, but for the majority of the game, it looked like they had not adjusted their lengths to the Indian conditions yet. Richardson actually bowled a terrific slower yorker against a set Jos Buttler who was looking due for a big one. He outfoxed the Englishmen with an extraordinary dip on the ball to castle his stumps and bring Punjab back into the game. Having said that, both players would need to find the sweet spot if they want to remain in contention for the first XI in the franchise. #2 Ben Stokes Let’s not fool anyone here. T20 has never quite been Stokes’ forte. About 2750 runs at a strike rate of 136 and 75 wickets at an economy over 8.5 from 140 T20 matches, Stokes has not done justice to his talent. Having said that it is Stokes utility as an international player that gets him an assured space into any side in the world in any format. He is a gun fielder at every position, he can bat at any position and is very handy with the ball. Now, there are days that none of these really work out. He dropped two chances in the outfield, poor communication meant that Jos Buttler dropped one because of him and he just bowled only one over, where he conceded 12 runs. Coming into the chase, Stokes made a three-ball duck trying to pull a hard length delivery against Shami. Knowing Ben Stokes, he would certainly pick himself up, but the more important question here is when? Last season in the United Arab Emirates, he had a horrible outing in the IPL, scoring 285 runs in 8 matches, out of which there was a 107*. With the ball, he leaked runs at over 10 per over and managed to pick just 2 wickets. It is of utmost importance for the Rajasthan franchise to figure out the key to unleash Stokes at full potential, something they did with Buttler today, playing him at four. With the lack of swing on offer, Buttler in his brief stay became a nightmare for the bowlers, something that took the pressure off Sanju Samson. If it were not for the foxy yorker, the story could have been very different for Rajasthan tonight. So, there we have it, our hits and flops of the game that yielded 24 sixes, 40 boundaries and 438 runs. Catch you in the next one as Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on 13 April at 7:30 pm.

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IPL 2021 | PBKS vs RR: What Experts said after a dramatic last ball victory for Punjab Kings

Fortunes fluctuated from one side to the other but in the end, a young Arshdeep Singh held his nerves a delivered a killer punch in the final over of the match as Punjab Kings sealed a nerve-wracking victory by just 4 runs in the 4th match of Vivo IPL 14. A sensational Sanju Samson century went in vain as RR fell agonisingly close to the victory target of 222, managing to score 217. Chasing a stiff target of 222 was always going to be a tough ask for the Rajasthan Royals. Ben Stokes needed to play a vital role if they harboured hopes of getting anywhere close but his dismissal in the opening over firmly put them on the backfoot. Manan Vohra also fell quickly after playing a few brilliant shots but Sanju Samson had different ideas. His partnership of 53 runs with Shivam Dube slowly got them back into the game and his partnership with Riyan Parag was the game-changer. Parag played a breezy knock of 25 that came in just 11 deliveries and that paved way for a dramatic comeback. Samson rode his luck and went onto become the first-ever debutant skipper to score an IPL century. He took Jhye Richardson apart in the 18th over where he collected 19 runs in the over which tilted the scales in Rajasthan’s favour. Eventually, with 5 required off the last two deliveries, Samson refused a single to Chris Morris which turned out to be a game-changing moment as Samson didn’t manage to smash the required boundary and was holed out in the deep. Earlier in the day, it was some incredible batting from Punjab Kings which took them to a mammoth total of 221 runs. Following the loss of Mayank Agarwal, it was Chris Gayle and Rahul who smashed the bowlers around before Depak Hooda took the onus on himself to take Punjab to a position of strength. His quickfire knock of 64 of just 28 runs set the pace for Punjab. Eventually a fantastic final over from youngster Chetan Sakaria stopped Punjab from going beyond the 230 mark. Captain’s Viewpoint Following a dramatic contest, both the captains expressed their views on the encounter. Rahul stated that he believed in his team and knew that a few wickets will bring them back into the game. He also rued the missed opportunities which might have helped them seal the match way early. “ I didn't stop believing in the team, and we knew a couple of wickets will bring us back. The game went deep only because me included, we dropped some sitters. We bowled well until about 11-12 overs. We're used to this, and it's not something new for us, but a win like this brings the team together. We batted really well and bowled well in patches. We weren't consistent with the lengths but the bowlers will learn. A lot of talented, skilful players, and it's important that we back them. It was an amazing innings from Hooda, and that's the kind of fearless batting we want to see in the IPL,” Rahul said. He added the fact that tentativeness on certain occasions have been a huge drawback for them and they need to play fearlessly. He lauded the efforts of Chris Gayle and Deepak Hooda who along with Rahul batted brilliantly to set the foundation for the rest of the innings. “We have been tentative sometimes, and it's important for us to play fearlessly at times, so I am happy that the expectations are being understood and met. Gayle and Hooda were both good that way. I always go to Arshdeep for crucial overs and he enjoys the pressure. He loves being in the contest and I love throwing him the ball, and he trusts himself and trusts his skills, so that's always good to see,” Rahul added. Sanju Samson rued the missed opportunity. He also finished it off for Rajasthan Royal but eventually fell in the final hurdle. “I don't have words to explain my feelings. Would have loved to finish it off for my team. I don't think I could have done better than that. I thought I timed it well for a six but somehow... Catches go down and good catches were also taken. It's part of the game,” Samson said. Expert Opinion Several experts gave their viewpoint on the game. Everyone hailed the incredible innings by Sanju Samson besides garnering praises for other youngsters like Arshdeep Singh and Chetan Sakaria.

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IPL 2021 | RR vs PKBS - Incredible Sanju Samson century goes in vain

Newly appointed Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson announced his arrival in style as he became the first debutant captain in IPL history to smash a century. Riding on a sensational knock from the blade of Samson, Rajasthan Royals almost made a comeback against the Punjab Kings in the 5th encounter of Vivo IPL 14. Chasing a stiff target of 222, Rajasthan Royals got off to the worst possible start as they lost Ben Stokes in the very first of the over. Mohammed Shami’s fiery opening spell helped Punjab consolidate the initiative but some exceptional batting from skipper Sanju Samson helped them claw their way back into the game. Despite the loss of Manan Vohra and Jos Buttler, Samson never looked in any sort of discomfort and started taking the Punjab Kings bowlers apart. A partnership of 53 runs with Shivam Dube laid the foundation for a perfect run-chase and it was a breezy knock from Riyan Parag which got RR right back into the game. The equation looked difficult for the Royals but it was a sensational 18th over which tilted the scales in favour of Rajasthan. He smashed Jhye Richardson for a couple of sixes and a four in the first three balls off the 18th over which set the tone for the final two overs. He reached a well-deserved century by carving a low full toss outside off bisecting the point and the short third man fielder to perfection. Needing 5 off the final delivery Samson was caught at deep extra cover trying go for the big shot to seal the deal for his team.