He Always Plays For The Side: Kumar Sangakkara Praises RR Star
Sanju Samson scored run a ball 17 vs CSK (IPLT20.com)
In a scintillating match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR) roared to a 32-run victory in Jaipur on Friday. The win has put them atop of the IPL 2023 points table with five wins and three defeats.
Led by their skipper Sanju Samson, the Royals put on a sensational batting display after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal stole the show with a magnificent knock of 77 runs off just 43 deliveries, ably supported by an 84-run opening partnership with his fellow opener, Jos Buttler.
Although the middle order struggled, a late flourish from Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal helped the Royals set a daunting target of 202-5 in their allotted 20 overs.
Skipper Sanju Samson came into bat after the fall of the first wicket and displayed his aggressive intent, even though he only managed a run-a-ball 17. Despite not scoring many runs, Samson was lauded by the RR head coach, Kumar Sangakkara, who commended the skipper's unselfish play for the team.
The Sri Lankan veteran noted that when Samson is at the crease, he always plays for the side and not for himself. Samson's example and leadership set the tone for the rest of the team to follow, regardless of the number of runs he scored.
"Skipper, thank you for going in , I think when you watch Sanju bat, one of the things and Jos has made this observation before, is that he always plays for the side. It's not about the runs but it's about how he scores those. He showed the intent, he led by example. So I thought irrespective of the runs , the tone you set and the example you set is great for the rest of the side to follow,” said Sangakkara while addressing the team in the aftermath of their win vs CSK.
Meanwhile, the Royals' bowlers were equally impressive, with their pacers setting the tone during the powerplay, followed by the spinners picking up wickets at regular intervals. The Super Kings' formidable batting lineup was restricted to a paltry 170-6 in their 20 overs, ensuring that the Royals' batting efforts did not go to waste.
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