Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was front and centre as they beat Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets and recorded their eighth win of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. RR have lost just once throughout this season and this was their fourth consecutive victory. Chasing 197, Samson and Dhruv Jurel shared unconquered 121 runs for the fourth wicket to chase down the target in 19 overs.
In what was a game between some of the most foremost contenders for the position of India’s wicketkeeper in the T20 World Cup, it was Samson’s half-century that trumped LSG captain KL Rahul’s 76 of 48. Rahul had a strike rate of 158.33 as LSG scored 196/5 batting first. Samson, on the other hand, scored an unbeaten 71 in 33 balls and ended with a strike rate of 215.15. Jurel also scored his first IPL half-century, remaining unbeaten on 52 off 34 balls. Chasing a tricky 197 with LSG deploying seven bowlers including two leg-spinners, Rajasthan finished at 199 for three to win with an over to spare.
Earlier, LSG rode on 115-run third-wicket stand between Rahul and Hooda to put up a fighting total. Sandeep Sharma was the most successful bowler for RR, returning with figures of 2/31. LSG’s plans to tie the Royals down with leg-spin became evident when the 41-year-old Amit Mishra came on as impact substitute and got the priced scalp of Riyan Parag (11) in his first over.
Rajasthan slipped from 60 for no loss to 78/3 after nine, and this was when Jurel and Samson began their recovery work to put Rajasthan back on track again. Jurel and Samson began with a six and a four respectively off Mishra to push the leg-spinner on the backfoot and took 17 runs off Thakur’s second over.
Krunal Pandya (0/24) did well on his part to send down a few measly overs in between but RR were back on charge again when Mohsin Khan came on in the 14th over. Jurel hit the left-armer for 20 runs including three fours and a six in Mohsin’s third of the game and also enjoyed a reprieve when Thakur, placed at short third man, dropped a crucial catch when the RR batter was on 32. Bishnoi’s introduction as late as in the 16th over had no impact whatsoever, with RR having grasped full control of the proceedings. The leg-spinner leaked another 16 runs as RR inched closer to the finish line.
The win took top-placed Rajasthan to 16 points — six clear from the second-best Kolkata Knight Riders — and a step closer to become the first team to reach the playoffs in the 17th edition. The play-offs cut-off this year is likely to be 18 points if one goes by the current mid-table muddle. LSG remained on fourth spot with 10 points in bag.
RR’s net run rate of 0.694 is only behind that of second-placed Kolkata Knight Riders. LSG, meanwhile are one of four teams who are on 10 points. Their net run rate of 0.059 is more than Delhi Capitals’ but lesser than those of Sunrisers Hyderabad and KKR, thus keeping them in fourth place.
