Rajasthan Royals are reminding IPL fans of their 2008 glory days. Back then, it was Shane Warne who led by example. Now, Sanju Samson has taken up the mantle. The skipper has consistently led the charge with the bat this season. Once again, he anchored the innings against Lucknow Super Giants, making 71 off just 33 balls. His flawless performance guided RR to victory. Sanju and Dhruv Jurel steered the team to the target of 197 runs. RR maintained their position on top, while LSG remained in fourth place.
Neat work from RR new ball bowlers
It’s rare to see the new white KK ball swing, but the pair of Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma made it move in both directions. The LSG batters found it tough to get going. Boult has this happy knack of getting wickets in the first over, and he struck once again, as did Sandeep. They took one wicket each, including the one of Marcus Stoinis, who scored a century in the last game. Such was the impact of the RR pacers that LSG managed only 26 in four overs. Twenty came in the final two as the hosts finished with 46 in the powerplay.
Rahul, Hooda take LSG to challenging total
After losing early wickets, the hosts were in a bit of trouble. A big partnership became imperative, and it materialised between skipper KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda. Their 115-run alliance paved the way for LSG to get close to 200. Initially subdued, Rahul unleashed his shots thereafter. Particularly notable was his onslaught on Avesh Khan, who went for 21 runs in an over. Hooda continued his impressive form from the previous match, playing some captivating strokes. Both made half-centuries, before Hooda fell to Ravichandran Ashwin. Rahul continued to display classical strokes, utilising the longer boundaries to accumulate numerous doubles. Looking good for a century, he was dismissed by Avesh towards the end of the innings.
Clinical from RR batters
In their pursuit of 197 runs, RR got off to a flying start during the powerplay, courtesy of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fluent stroke play. Buttler contributed 34, while Jaiswal added 24. Although Riyan Parag managed only 14, Dhruv Jurel made a vital 52 not out off 34 balls. However, it was the unbeaten 71 off 33 balls from skipper Sanju that stole the spotlight, ensuring RR’s victory without hiccups
Questionable captaincy by Rahul
Rahul and his team erred in their bowling strategy. While Amit Mishra delivered as their impact player, his expensive second over delayed Ravi Bishnoi’s entry into the attack. The youngster ended up bowling only one over. On the other hand, Krunal Pandya maintained accuracy, conceding only 24 in his four overs. However, pacers Yash Thakur and Mohsin Khan struggled and leaked runs, particularly the former, whose second over began RR’s onslaught.