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Tag: Rajasthan Royals

  • Shimron Hetmyer returns, likely to be available for Rajasthan Royals’ game against Chennai Super Kings

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals batter Shimron Hetmyer, who had flown to Guyana for the birth of his first child, has rejoined the squad and is likely to be available for the side’s final league match on Friday.

    The big-hitting West Indian had flown to Guyana for the birth of his son on May 8, missing the matches against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants.

    “Hetmyer is back and is currently in quarantine,” an IPL source told PTI.

    The Royals, who sit second on the points table, are on course for a top two finish after they defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 24 runs.

    They take on Chennai Super Kings in their final league-stage game on Friday.

    The-25-year-old Hetmyer, who was bought by the Royals for Rs 8.5 crore in the auction, has been a vital cog for the former champions this season.

    He has managed 291 runs from eleven appearances at a fantastic strike rate of 166.29 along with an impressive batting average of 72.75.

    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals batter Shimron Hetmyer, who had flown to Guyana for the birth of his first child, has rejoined the squad and is likely to be available for the side’s final league match on Friday.

    The big-hitting West Indian had flown to Guyana for the birth of his son on May 8, missing the matches against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants.

    “Hetmyer is back and is currently in quarantine,” an IPL source told PTI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The Royals, who sit second on the points table, are on course for a top two finish after they defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 24 runs.

    They take on Chennai Super Kings in their final league-stage game on Friday.

    The-25-year-old Hetmyer, who was bought by the Royals for Rs 8.5 crore in the auction, has been a vital cog for the former champions this season.

    He has managed 291 runs from eleven appearances at a fantastic strike rate of 166.29 along with an impressive batting average of 72.75.

  • Shimron Hetmyer returns, likely to be available for Rajasthan Royals’ game against Chennai Super Kings

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals batter Shimron Hetmyer, who had flown to Guyana for the birth of his first child, has rejoined the squad and is likely to be available for the side’s final league match on Friday.

    The big-hitting West Indian had flown to Guyana for the birth of his son on May 8, missing the matches against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants.

    “Hetmyer is back and is currently in quarantine,” an IPL source told PTI.

    The Royals, who sit second on the points table, are on course for a top two finish after they defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 24 runs.

    They take on Chennai Super Kings in their final league-stage game on Friday.

    The-25-year-old Hetmyer, who was bought by the Royals for Rs 8.5 crore in the auction, has been a vital cog for the former champions this season.

    He has managed 291 runs from eleven appearances at a fantastic strike rate of 166.29 along with an impressive batting average of 72.75.

  • Was told by Rajasthan in the start that I would be used up the order: Ravichandran Ashwin

    By IANS

    NAVI MUMBAI: In IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals have brought in a funky experiment: – promote Ravichandran Ashwin in the batting order and use him as a pinch hitter so that the line-up gets elongated.

    On Wednesday, against Delhi Capitals, Ashwin was brought out at number three and despite being stuck twice in the innings, got his maiden IPL fifty in 38 balls though Rajasthan lost by eight wickets at DY Patil Stadium.

    “No, there’s no license (on pinch hitter role) that has been given. Starting from the season, it was communicated properly to me that I would be used up the order. We had a few practice games as well where I opened, and I have kind of enjoyed it.”

    “Have worked a lot on my batting, so it’s nice to see whatever it’s been worked on translates on the field. Pretty good feel about the knock today, nevertheless it didn’t come in a winning cause,” said Ashwin on his pinch-hitter role in post-match virtual press conference.

    From 107/2 in 14 overs, Rajasthan had a meltdown in the last six overs, making just 53 runs while losing four wickets to be 160/6 at the end of their innings. With no Shimron Hetmyer to give the finishing kick, Rajasthan couldn’t get the desired end from Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Rassie van der Dussen.

    “There were no switch offs in that phase. I think Hetmyer has gone home for the birth of his child so Rassie came in place for him. Hettie has been giving us the finishes in most of the games. A finisher is always worth the weight in gold.”

    Ashwin felt Rajasthan didn’t have luck on their side during the match, right from toss to defending 160. “I thought even the toss was pretty crucial today because the wicket was a touch tacky today. Had we had some luck and taken the catches, the game would have taken a different course. But these things do happen and the back end of the tournament is always pressure. Hopefully we can turn it on and string in a couple of wins together.”

    Explaining further about the tacky nature of the pitch at DY Patil Stadium and the difficulties it caused to Rajasthan, Ashwin said, “Today the pitch wasn’t quite the easiest so there was communication around that. Obviously, the communication to keep going out to play for a few more overs and set it up keeps coming in. Most often than not, if you find yourself hitting the 100-run mark by the 13th over, you end up getting to 180, that’s generally the kind of algorithm that works.”

    “Today was again we hit the 100-mark on a quite tough pitch while batting first, I think just maybe 15-20 runs short at the end. But like I said you never really know unless both sides have played. We have made a good fist of these sorts of low-scoring games in the past but today, the wickets, catches; nothing really went our way in the second half. It was not our day.”

    NAVI MUMBAI: In IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals have brought in a funky experiment: – promote Ravichandran Ashwin in the batting order and use him as a pinch hitter so that the line-up gets elongated.

    On Wednesday, against Delhi Capitals, Ashwin was brought out at number three and despite being stuck twice in the innings, got his maiden IPL fifty in 38 balls though Rajasthan lost by eight wickets at DY Patil Stadium.

    “No, there’s no license (on pinch hitter role) that has been given. Starting from the season, it was communicated properly to me that I would be used up the order. We had a few practice games as well where I opened, and I have kind of enjoyed it.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Have worked a lot on my batting, so it’s nice to see whatever it’s been worked on translates on the field. Pretty good feel about the knock today, nevertheless it didn’t come in a winning cause,” said Ashwin on his pinch-hitter role in post-match virtual press conference.

    From 107/2 in 14 overs, Rajasthan had a meltdown in the last six overs, making just 53 runs while losing four wickets to be 160/6 at the end of their innings. With no Shimron Hetmyer to give the finishing kick, Rajasthan couldn’t get the desired end from Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Rassie van der Dussen.

    “There were no switch offs in that phase. I think Hetmyer has gone home for the birth of his child so Rassie came in place for him. Hettie has been giving us the finishes in most of the games. A finisher is always worth the weight in gold.”

    Ashwin felt Rajasthan didn’t have luck on their side during the match, right from toss to defending 160. “I thought even the toss was pretty crucial today because the wicket was a touch tacky today. Had we had some luck and taken the catches, the game would have taken a different course. But these things do happen and the back end of the tournament is always pressure. Hopefully we can turn it on and string in a couple of wins together.”

    Explaining further about the tacky nature of the pitch at DY Patil Stadium and the difficulties it caused to Rajasthan, Ashwin said, “Today the pitch wasn’t quite the easiest so there was communication around that. Obviously, the communication to keep going out to play for a few more overs and set it up keeps coming in. Most often than not, if you find yourself hitting the 100-run mark by the 13th over, you end up getting to 180, that’s generally the kind of algorithm that works.”

    “Today was again we hit the 100-mark on a quite tough pitch while batting first, I think just maybe 15-20 runs short at the end. But like I said you never really know unless both sides have played. We have made a good fist of these sorts of low-scoring games in the past but today, the wickets, catches; nothing really went our way in the second half. It was not our day.”

  • Was told by Rajasthan in the start that I would be used up the order: Ravichandran Ashwin

    By IANS

    NAVI MUMBAI: In IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals have brought in a funky experiment: – promote Ravichandran Ashwin in the batting order and use him as a pinch hitter so that the line-up gets elongated.

    On Wednesday, against Delhi Capitals, Ashwin was brought out at number three and despite being stuck twice in the innings, got his maiden IPL fifty in 38 balls though Rajasthan lost by eight wickets at DY Patil Stadium.

    “No, there’s no license (on pinch hitter role) that has been given. Starting from the season, it was communicated properly to me that I would be used up the order. We had a few practice games as well where I opened, and I have kind of enjoyed it.”

    “Have worked a lot on my batting, so it’s nice to see whatever it’s been worked on translates on the field. Pretty good feel about the knock today, nevertheless it didn’t come in a winning cause,” said Ashwin on his pinch-hitter role in post-match virtual press conference.

    From 107/2 in 14 overs, Rajasthan had a meltdown in the last six overs, making just 53 runs while losing four wickets to be 160/6 at the end of their innings. With no Shimron Hetmyer to give the finishing kick, Rajasthan couldn’t get the desired end from Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Rassie van der Dussen.

    “There were no switch offs in that phase. I think Hetmyer has gone home for the birth of his child so Rassie came in place for him. Hettie has been giving us the finishes in most of the games. A finisher is always worth the weight in gold.”

    Ashwin felt Rajasthan didn’t have luck on their side during the match, right from toss to defending 160. “I thought even the toss was pretty crucial today because the wicket was a touch tacky today. Had we had some luck and taken the catches, the game would have taken a different course. But these things do happen and the back end of the tournament is always pressure. Hopefully we can turn it on and string in a couple of wins together.”

    Explaining further about the tacky nature of the pitch at DY Patil Stadium and the difficulties it caused to Rajasthan, Ashwin said, “Today the pitch wasn’t quite the easiest so there was communication around that. Obviously, the communication to keep going out to play for a few more overs and set it up keeps coming in. Most often than not, if you find yourself hitting the 100-run mark by the 13th over, you end up getting to 180, that’s generally the kind of algorithm that works.”

    “Today was again we hit the 100-mark on a quite tough pitch while batting first, I think just maybe 15-20 runs short at the end. But like I said you never really know unless both sides have played. We have made a good fist of these sorts of low-scoring games in the past but today, the wickets, catches; nothing really went our way in the second half. It was not our day.”

  • IPL 2022: Royal comeback for Yashasvi Jaiswal as Rajasthan trump Punjab by six wickets

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: 20, 1 and 4. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s numbers in the first three matches of the Indian Premier League this season does not justify his talent. The 20-year-old from Mumbai is looked upon as an upcoming Indian player, and why not.  At 17, he became the youngest player to score a List-A double century. But with the quality of Indian players coming up the ranks, there is a serious need for players to be consistent at all levels, including the IPL to catch the attention of the selectors. That is where Jaiswal needed to improve upon.

    However, there is no doubt about the talent that exists in his batting and the Royals, who retained him ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, know it fully well.  For a start, giving him the openers role in the first three matches despite having Devdutt Padikkal, a proven IPL opener, shows how much the Royals management hold him in high esteem. But his performance in the initial stages was a disappointment. Jaiswal, who last played more than a month ago, was given another opportunity against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.

    In fact, the player only got a chance with middle-order player Karun Nair having failed to make an impression in the last few games. With Jaiswal’s inclusion being the only change, there was pressure on Mumbai’s southpaw. He had to deliver, and the youngster did exactly that with his highest score in the IPL (68) to steer his team to victory by six wickets. If Jaiswal set the platform, Shimron Hetmyer hit three fours and two sixes to finish the job with a 16-ball 31.

    With Punjab posting a good score of 189, as an opener Jaiswal did not have to think too much about his approach. It helped him. There were no two ways about it. He had to score at a fair clip, ensuring that the team was off to a flier. He did not take much time to get his A game going. In the third ball of the first over, he cut Sandeep Sharma past point for a four. He followed that up with a six and four, which did his confidence a world of good.

    Though in-form Buttler was out for a breezy 16-ball 30, Jaiswal was in no mood to allow the opponents to get into the game. The southpaw, alongside Sanju Samson, dealt in boundaries with constant ease, but the burden shifted to Jaiswal quickly after the skipper was out for 23 in the ninth over.

    As Padikkal joined him in the middle, it was a test of character for Jaiswal. The team also expected him to finish the game, but his job was made difficult by the Karnataka batter, who could not find the fence during the middle overs. The pressure multiplied with the required run rate increasing every over, but he did his best, hitting boundaries almost every over before falling in the 15th over. Even after Jaiswal’s wicket, Padikkal was not able to score freely, but Hetmyer helped Rajasthan pick up their seventh win of the season.

    Though the major credit for the win will go to Jaiswal and Hetmyer, Yuzvendra Chahal needs a special mention for his three-wicket haul in the first innings, taking his tally to an impressive 22 scalps.

    Brief scores: PBKS 189/5 in 20 ovs (Bairstow 56; Chahal 3/28) lost to RR 190/4 in 19.4 ovs (Jaiswal 68; Arshdeep 2/29)

    BENGALURU: 20, 1 and 4. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s numbers in the first three matches of the Indian Premier League this season does not justify his talent. The 20-year-old from Mumbai is looked upon as an upcoming Indian player, and why not.  At 17, he became the youngest player to score a List-A double century. But with the quality of Indian players coming up the ranks, there is a serious need for players to be consistent at all levels, including the IPL to catch the attention of the selectors. That is where Jaiswal needed to improve upon.

    However, there is no doubt about the talent that exists in his batting and the Royals, who retained him ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, know it fully well.  For a start, giving him the openers role in the first three matches despite having Devdutt Padikkal, a proven IPL opener, shows how much the Royals management hold him in high esteem. But his performance in the initial stages was a disappointment. Jaiswal, who last played more than a month ago, was given another opportunity against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.

    In fact, the player only got a chance with middle-order player Karun Nair having failed to make an impression in the last few games. With Jaiswal’s inclusion being the only change, there was pressure on Mumbai’s southpaw. He had to deliver, and the youngster did exactly that with his highest score in the IPL (68) to steer his team to victory by six wickets. If Jaiswal set the platform, Shimron Hetmyer hit three fours and two sixes to finish the job with a 16-ball 31.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    With Punjab posting a good score of 189, as an opener Jaiswal did not have to think too much about his approach. It helped him. There were no two ways about it. He had to score at a fair clip, ensuring that the team was off to a flier. He did not take much time to get his A game going. In the third ball of the first over, he cut Sandeep Sharma past point for a four. He followed that up with a six and four, which did his confidence a world of good.

    Though in-form Buttler was out for a breezy 16-ball 30, Jaiswal was in no mood to allow the opponents to get into the game. The southpaw, alongside Sanju Samson, dealt in boundaries with constant ease, but the burden shifted to Jaiswal quickly after the skipper was out for 23 in the ninth over.

    As Padikkal joined him in the middle, it was a test of character for Jaiswal. The team also expected him to finish the game, but his job was made difficult by the Karnataka batter, who could not find the fence during the middle overs. The pressure multiplied with the required run rate increasing every over, but he did his best, hitting boundaries almost every over before falling in the 15th over. Even after Jaiswal’s wicket, Padikkal was not able to score freely, but Hetmyer helped Rajasthan pick up their seventh win of the season.

    Though the major credit for the win will go to Jaiswal and Hetmyer, Yuzvendra Chahal needs a special mention for his three-wicket haul in the first innings, taking his tally to an impressive 22 scalps.

    Brief scores: PBKS 189/5 in 20 ovs (Bairstow 56; Chahal 3/28) lost to RR 190/4 in 19.4 ovs (Jaiswal 68; Arshdeep 2/29)

  • IPL 2022: Royal comeback for Yashasvi Jaiswal as Rajasthan trump Punjab by six wickets

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: 20, 1 and 4. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s numbers in the first three matches of the Indian Premier League this season does not justify his talent. The 20-year-old from Mumbai is looked upon as an upcoming Indian player, and why not.  At 17, he became the youngest player to score a List-A double century. But with the quality of Indian players coming up the ranks, there is a serious need for players to be consistent at all levels, including the IPL to catch the attention of the selectors. That is where Jaiswal needed to improve upon.

    However, there is no doubt about the talent that exists in his batting and the Royals, who retained him ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, know it fully well.  For a start, giving him the openers role in the first three matches despite having Devdutt Padikkal, a proven IPL opener, shows how much the Royals management hold him in high esteem. But his performance in the initial stages was a disappointment. Jaiswal, who last played more than a month ago, was given another opportunity against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.

    In fact, the player only got a chance with middle-order player Karun Nair having failed to make an impression in the last few games. With Jaiswal’s inclusion being the only change, there was pressure on Mumbai’s southpaw. He had to deliver, and the youngster did exactly that with his highest score in the IPL (68) to steer his team to victory by six wickets. If Jaiswal set the platform, Shimron Hetmyer hit three fours and two sixes to finish the job with a 16-ball 31.

    With Punjab posting a good score of 189, as an opener Jaiswal did not have to think too much about his approach. It helped him. There were no two ways about it. He had to score at a fair clip, ensuring that the team was off to a flier. He did not take much time to get his A game going. In the third ball of the first over, he cut Sandeep Sharma past point for a four. He followed that up with a six and four, which did his confidence a world of good.

    Though in-form Buttler was out for a breezy 16-ball 30, Jaiswal was in no mood to allow the opponents to get into the game. The southpaw, alongside Sanju Samson, dealt in boundaries with constant ease, but the burden shifted to Jaiswal quickly after the skipper was out for 23 in the ninth over.

    As Padikkal joined him in the middle, it was a test of character for Jaiswal. The team also expected him to finish the game, but his job was made difficult by the Karnataka batter, who could not find the fence during the middle overs. The pressure multiplied with the required run rate increasing every over, but he did his best, hitting boundaries almost every over before falling in the 15th over. Even after Jaiswal’s wicket, Padikkal was not able to score freely, but Hetmyer helped Rajasthan pick up their seventh win of the season.

    Though the major credit for the win will go to Jaiswal and Hetmyer, Yuzvendra Chahal needs a special mention for his three-wicket haul in the first innings, taking his tally to an impressive 22 scalps.

    Brief scores: PBKS 189/5 in 20 ovs (Bairstow 56; Chahal 3/28) lost to RR 190/4 in 19.4 ovs (Jaiswal 68; Arshdeep 2/29)

  • Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to snap five-match losing streak

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated in-form Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to snap their five-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League here on Monday.

    KKR first restricted RR to 152 for five after opting to bowl and then chased down the target with five balls to spare to return to winning ways and heave a sigh of relief.

    Nitish Rana (48 not out) anchored the chase, while Rinku Singh played a 23-ball unbeaten 42-run cameo to help KKR overwhelm the target with consummate ease.

    Aaron Finch’s poor run continued as he was cleaned up by Kuldeep Sen early on as KKR made a sedate start to their chase.

    KKR batters found the going tough on a slow paced Wankhede pitch, where shot-making wasn’t easy at all.

    Baba Indrajith (15) was bounced out by Prasidh Krishna soon but captain Shreyas Iyer (34 off 32) and Nitish Rana batted sensible to help KKR reach fifty in nine overs.

    It was Rana who finally managed to free his arms in the 11th over, and used the sweep and reverse sweep to great effect to hit R Ashwin for a 4-6-4 to pick up 16 runs.

    Iyer then clobbered Yuzvendra Chahal over wide long-on boundary to bring up the half-century stand for the third wicket with Rana.

    Just when it seemed Iyer was breaking loose, he edged a Trent Boult delivery to Samson behind the stumps in the next over.

    Iyer struck three boundaries and one six during his knock.

    New man Singh marked his arrival at the crease with a boundary of the first ball.

    Needing 46 off 30 balls, Singh played the shot of the day, a paddle scoop to a 141 kmph Sen delivery on his legs high and mighty over the fine leg fence.

    Singh meant business as he found the fence at crucial junctures to first bring down the equation to 31 runs off 18 balls.

    Samson’s decision to bring Chahal back into the attack in the 18th over backfired as Singh took his chances against the spinner and struck consecutive fours to make it 18 off last 12 balls.

    Singh continued his onslaught against Prasidh, who conceded 17 runs in the penultimate over, which included two boundaries from the left-hander’s blade, as KKR wrapped up the match in style.

    Earlier, KKR restricted RR to a modest 152 for five, despite rival skipper Samson’s half-century.

    For RR, Samson’s 54 off 49 balls was the only saving grace, as wickets tumbled at regular intervals.

    KKR bowlers justified skipper Iyer’s decision to ask the opposition to bat first with quick wickets.

    A late onslaught by Shimron Hetymar (27 not out off 13 balls) took Rajasthan beyond the 150-run mark.

    RR lost opener Devdutt Padikkal (2) cheaply as pacer Umesh Yadav (1/24) grabbed a return catch in the third over.

    Samson, who hit seven boundaries and a six, joined in-form Jos Buttler (22 off 25 balls; 3x4s) and the duo tried to rally the innings, sharing 48 runs for the second wicket as KKR bowlers didn’t allow RR batters to free their arms.

    Samson carved through the point to get his first four in the fourth over as RR crawled to 12 for one.

    Samson and and Buttler tried to break the shackles in the fifth over, which fetched RR 15 runs.

    The duo hammered Umesh for three boundaries, with the skipper hitting two of them.

    Samson lofted Anukul Roy (1/28) over deep extra cover for his first maximum as RR amassed 11 runs in the sixth over, scoring 38 runs in power-play.

    The RR skipper then cut Sunil Narine (0/19) for another boundary.

    But RR slipped to 55 for two after pacer Tim Southee (2/46) removed a rusty looking Buttler, who was caught by Shivam Mavi at long on.

    Samson struck two successive boundaries off Mavi (1/33) but was devoid of partners.

    He was able to add only 35 runs with Karun Nair (13) and 25 with Riyan Parag (19).

    Karun (13), Parag (19) and Samson fell in quick succession as RR slipped to 115 for five from 90 for three.

    While Nair became left-arm spinner Roy’s only victim, Parag was caught by Roy at deep-mid wicket off Southee.

    Samson, in a bid to score quickly, gave a skier to Singh at deep-midwicket.

    Hetymer and Ashwin (6 not out) added unbeaten 37 runs in 18 balls to push RR’s total beyond the 150-run mark.

  • Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to snap five-match losing streak

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated in-form Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to snap their five-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League here on Monday.

    KKR first restricted RR to 152 for five after opting to bowl and then chased down the target with five balls to spare to return to winning ways and heave a sigh of relief.

    Nitish Rana (48 not out) anchored the chase, while Rinku Singh played a 23-ball unbeaten 42-run cameo to help KKR overwhelm the target with consummate ease.

    Aaron Finch’s poor run continued as he was cleaned up by Kuldeep Sen early on as KKR made a sedate start to their chase.

    KKR batters found the going tough on a slow paced Wankhede pitch, where shot-making wasn’t easy at all.

    Baba Indrajith (15) was bounced out by Prasidh Krishna soon but captain Shreyas Iyer (34 off 32) and Nitish Rana batted sensible to help KKR reach fifty in nine overs.

    It was Rana who finally managed to free his arms in the 11th over, and used the sweep and reverse sweep to great effect to hit R Ashwin for a 4-6-4 to pick up 16 runs.

    Iyer then clobbered Yuzvendra Chahal over wide long-on boundary to bring up the half-century stand for the third wicket with Rana.

    Just when it seemed Iyer was breaking loose, he edged a Trent Boult delivery to Samson behind the stumps in the next over.

    Iyer struck three boundaries and one six during his knock.

    New man Singh marked his arrival at the crease with a boundary of the first ball.

    Needing 46 off 30 balls, Singh played the shot of the day, a paddle scoop to a 141 kmph Sen delivery on his legs high and mighty over the fine leg fence.

    Singh meant business as he found the fence at crucial junctures to first bring down the equation to 31 runs off 18 balls.

    Samson’s decision to bring Chahal back into the attack in the 18th over backfired as Singh took his chances against the spinner and struck consecutive fours to make it 18 off last 12 balls.

    Singh continued his onslaught against Prasidh, who conceded 17 runs in the penultimate over, which included two boundaries from the left-hander’s blade, as KKR wrapped up the match in style.

    Earlier, KKR restricted RR to a modest 152 for five, despite rival skipper Samson’s half-century.

    For RR, Samson’s 54 off 49 balls was the only saving grace, as wickets tumbled at regular intervals.

    KKR bowlers justified skipper Iyer’s decision to ask the opposition to bat first with quick wickets.

    A late onslaught by Shimron Hetymar (27 not out off 13 balls) took Rajasthan beyond the 150-run mark.

    RR lost opener Devdutt Padikkal (2) cheaply as pacer Umesh Yadav (1/24) grabbed a return catch in the third over.

    Samson, who hit seven boundaries and a six, joined in-form Jos Buttler (22 off 25 balls; 3x4s) and the duo tried to rally the innings, sharing 48 runs for the second wicket as KKR bowlers didn’t allow RR batters to free their arms.

    Samson carved through the point to get his first four in the fourth over as RR crawled to 12 for one.

    Samson and and Buttler tried to break the shackles in the fifth over, which fetched RR 15 runs.

    The duo hammered Umesh for three boundaries, with the skipper hitting two of them.

    Samson lofted Anukul Roy (1/28) over deep extra cover for his first maximum as RR amassed 11 runs in the sixth over, scoring 38 runs in power-play.

    The RR skipper then cut Sunil Narine (0/19) for another boundary.

    But RR slipped to 55 for two after pacer Tim Southee (2/46) removed a rusty looking Buttler, who was caught by Shivam Mavi at long on.

    Samson struck two successive boundaries off Mavi (1/33) but was devoid of partners.

    He was able to add only 35 runs with Karun Nair (13) and 25 with Riyan Parag (19).

    Karun (13), Parag (19) and Samson fell in quick succession as RR slipped to 115 for five from 90 for three.

    While Nair became left-arm spinner Roy’s only victim, Parag was caught by Roy at deep-mid wicket off Southee.

    Samson, in a bid to score quickly, gave a skier to Singh at deep-midwicket.

    Hetymer and Ashwin (6 not out) added unbeaten 37 runs in 18 balls to push RR’s total beyond the 150-run mark.

    MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated in-form Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to snap their five-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League here on Monday.

    KKR first restricted RR to 152 for five after opting to bowl and then chased down the target with five balls to spare to return to winning ways and heave a sigh of relief.

    Nitish Rana (48 not out) anchored the chase, while Rinku Singh played a 23-ball unbeaten 42-run cameo to help KKR overwhelm the target with consummate ease.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Aaron Finch’s poor run continued as he was cleaned up by Kuldeep Sen early on as KKR made a sedate start to their chase.

    KKR batters found the going tough on a slow paced Wankhede pitch, where shot-making wasn’t easy at all.

    Baba Indrajith (15) was bounced out by Prasidh Krishna soon but captain Shreyas Iyer (34 off 32) and Nitish Rana batted sensible to help KKR reach fifty in nine overs.

    It was Rana who finally managed to free his arms in the 11th over, and used the sweep and reverse sweep to great effect to hit R Ashwin for a 4-6-4 to pick up 16 runs.

    Iyer then clobbered Yuzvendra Chahal over wide long-on boundary to bring up the half-century stand for the third wicket with Rana.

    Just when it seemed Iyer was breaking loose, he edged a Trent Boult delivery to Samson behind the stumps in the next over.

    Iyer struck three boundaries and one six during his knock.

    New man Singh marked his arrival at the crease with a boundary of the first ball.

    Needing 46 off 30 balls, Singh played the shot of the day, a paddle scoop to a 141 kmph Sen delivery on his legs high and mighty over the fine leg fence.

    Singh meant business as he found the fence at crucial junctures to first bring down the equation to 31 runs off 18 balls.

    Samson’s decision to bring Chahal back into the attack in the 18th over backfired as Singh took his chances against the spinner and struck consecutive fours to make it 18 off last 12 balls.

    Singh continued his onslaught against Prasidh, who conceded 17 runs in the penultimate over, which included two boundaries from the left-hander’s blade, as KKR wrapped up the match in style.

    Earlier, KKR restricted RR to a modest 152 for five, despite rival skipper Samson’s half-century.

    For RR, Samson’s 54 off 49 balls was the only saving grace, as wickets tumbled at regular intervals.

    KKR bowlers justified skipper Iyer’s decision to ask the opposition to bat first with quick wickets.

    A late onslaught by Shimron Hetymar (27 not out off 13 balls) took Rajasthan beyond the 150-run mark.

    RR lost opener Devdutt Padikkal (2) cheaply as pacer Umesh Yadav (1/24) grabbed a return catch in the third over.

    Samson, who hit seven boundaries and a six, joined in-form Jos Buttler (22 off 25 balls; 3x4s) and the duo tried to rally the innings, sharing 48 runs for the second wicket as KKR bowlers didn’t allow RR batters to free their arms.

    Samson carved through the point to get his first four in the fourth over as RR crawled to 12 for one.

    Samson and and Buttler tried to break the shackles in the fifth over, which fetched RR 15 runs.

    The duo hammered Umesh for three boundaries, with the skipper hitting two of them.

    Samson lofted Anukul Roy (1/28) over deep extra cover for his first maximum as RR amassed 11 runs in the sixth over, scoring 38 runs in power-play.

    The RR skipper then cut Sunil Narine (0/19) for another boundary.

    But RR slipped to 55 for two after pacer Tim Southee (2/46) removed a rusty looking Buttler, who was caught by Shivam Mavi at long on.

    Samson struck two successive boundaries off Mavi (1/33) but was devoid of partners.

    He was able to add only 35 runs with Karun Nair (13) and 25 with Riyan Parag (19).

    Karun (13), Parag (19) and Samson fell in quick succession as RR slipped to 115 for five from 90 for three.

    While Nair became left-arm spinner Roy’s only victim, Parag was caught by Roy at deep-mid wicket off Southee.

    Samson, in a bid to score quickly, gave a skier to Singh at deep-midwicket.

    Hetymer and Ashwin (6 not out) added unbeaten 37 runs in 18 balls to push RR’s total beyond the 150-run mark.

  • Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson within striking distance of T20 World Cup

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: “That guy has got talent, man… He’s got the skillset to succeed, now that is the whole point about this sport. Lot of people have skillset, have talent. How you utilise them is the most critical part.” If one reads this without knowing the context and timing of it, this could easily be about Rohit Sharma of the early 2010s.

    Except that it wasn’t. It was coming from Rohit himself while talking about Sanju Samson in February 2022. The 27-year-old has been around the scheme of things for the better part of a decade now. And yet, somehow the first thought that comes to anyone’s mind when asked about him is that he hasn’t been consistent enough. But, what does the numbers say?

    In IPL 2019, Samson had the eighth-highest strike rate (148.69) among those with more than 300 runs. In 2020, he was second (158.89) on the same list. 717 runs in two seasons at a SR of 153.8. Last year, he toned his SR (136.72), finishing as the sixth-highest run-scorer with 484 runs. So, the comment on his consistency seemed to be passed with no backing of data. If not, he wouldn’t have been a part of the Indian T20I contingent since the 2020 Australia tour.

    That said, whenever he has got a chance with India, he has played those little cameos where you’d go wow at one moment and pluck your hair the next. It’s not to say that he didn’t play the role assigned to him well, but he could have done more.

    With the T20 World Cup around the corner, this IPL was once again his chance to do that extra bit, something he had done in the past for Rajasthan Royals. One look at 298 runs, while averaging 33.11 in 10 games doesn’t tell much as someone like Shreyas Iyer has scored 290 runs at a better average. But it’s the 153.60 SR that makes Samson stand out. Among the top 13 in batting charts — where Samson is at 7th — no one has a better SR, not even Buttler (150.76), who’s at the top and has had a vital role in RR sitting comfortably in the top four with six wins.

    On Monday against Kolkata Knight Riders, Samson had to do that extra bit. After all, he hadn’t hit a 50-plus score since their opening game. He came into bat in the third over, he had to bide through an over each of searing Umesh Yadav and dangerous Sunil Narine. But when Umesh overstepped in his next over, it was the moment for him; he hit consecutive fours off the pacer. A six off Anukul Roy and a four off Narine followed.

    However, with Buttler dismissed, Samson had to play a different role. He, along with Karun Nair, and then Riyan Parag, anchored the innings, cruising to his fifty in 38 balls. Over the next ten balls, he managed just four runs before getting out, but it was much-needed innings for RR and even more for Samson.

    With the player pool for the World Cup shrinking, every innings is an opportunity for him. “I think it is up to Sanju now, understand how he wants to utilise it and maximise,” Rohit said back in February. It’s safe to say, he’s on the right path.

  • Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson within striking distance of T20 World Cup

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: “That guy has got talent, man… He’s got the skillset to succeed, now that is the whole point about this sport. Lot of people have skillset, have talent. How you utilise them is the most critical part.” If one reads this without knowing the context and timing of it, this could easily be about Rohit Sharma of the early 2010s.

    Except that it wasn’t. It was coming from Rohit himself while talking about Sanju Samson in February 2022. The 27-year-old has been around the scheme of things for the better part of a decade now. And yet, somehow the first thought that comes to anyone’s mind when asked about him is that he hasn’t been consistent enough. But, what does the numbers say?

    In IPL 2019, Samson had the eighth-highest strike rate (148.69) among those with more than 300 runs. In 2020, he was second (158.89) on the same list. 717 runs in two seasons at a SR of 153.8. Last year, he toned his SR (136.72), finishing as the sixth-highest run-scorer with 484 runs. So, the comment on his consistency seemed to be passed with no backing of data. If not, he wouldn’t have been a part of the Indian T20I contingent since the 2020 Australia tour.

    That said, whenever he has got a chance with India, he has played those little cameos where you’d go wow at one moment and pluck your hair the next. It’s not to say that he didn’t play the role assigned to him well, but he could have done more.

    With the T20 World Cup around the corner, this IPL was once again his chance to do that extra bit, something he had done in the past for Rajasthan Royals. One look at 298 runs, while averaging 33.11 in 10 games doesn’t tell much as someone like Shreyas Iyer has scored 290 runs at a better average. But it’s the 153.60 SR that makes Samson stand out. Among the top 13 in batting charts — where Samson is at 7th — no one has a better SR, not even Buttler (150.76), who’s at the top and has had a vital role in RR sitting comfortably in the top four with six wins.

    On Monday against Kolkata Knight Riders, Samson had to do that extra bit. After all, he hadn’t hit a 50-plus score since their opening game. He came into bat in the third over, he had to bide through an over each of searing Umesh Yadav and dangerous Sunil Narine. But when Umesh overstepped in his next over, it was the moment for him; he hit consecutive fours off the pacer. A six off Anukul Roy and a four off Narine followed.

    However, with Buttler dismissed, Samson had to play a different role. He, along with Karun Nair, and then Riyan Parag, anchored the innings, cruising to his fifty in 38 balls. Over the next ten balls, he managed just four runs before getting out, but it was much-needed innings for RR and even more for Samson.

    With the player pool for the World Cup shrinking, every innings is an opportunity for him. “I think it is up to Sanju now, understand how he wants to utilise it and maximise,” Rohit said back in February. It’s safe to say, he’s on the right path.

    CHENNAI: “That guy has got talent, man… He’s got the skillset to succeed, now that is the whole point about this sport. Lot of people have skillset, have talent. How you utilise them is the most critical part.” If one reads this without knowing the context and timing of it, this could easily be about Rohit Sharma of the early 2010s.

    Except that it wasn’t. It was coming from Rohit himself while talking about Sanju Samson in February 2022. The 27-year-old has been around the scheme of things for the better part of a decade now. And yet, somehow the first thought that comes to anyone’s mind when asked about him is that he hasn’t been consistent enough. But, what does the numbers say?

    In IPL 2019, Samson had the eighth-highest strike rate (148.69) among those with more than 300 runs. In 2020, he was second (158.89) on the same list. 717 runs in two seasons at a SR of 153.8. Last year, he toned his SR (136.72), finishing as the sixth-highest run-scorer with 484 runs. So, the comment on his consistency seemed to be passed with no backing of data. If not, he wouldn’t have been a part of the Indian T20I contingent since the 2020 Australia tour.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    That said, whenever he has got a chance with India, he has played those little cameos where you’d go wow at one moment and pluck your hair the next. It’s not to say that he didn’t play the role assigned to him well, but he could have done more.

    With the T20 World Cup around the corner, this IPL was once again his chance to do that extra bit, something he had done in the past for Rajasthan Royals. One look at 298 runs, while averaging 33.11 in 10 games doesn’t tell much as someone like Shreyas Iyer has scored 290 runs at a better average. But it’s the 153.60 SR that makes Samson stand out. Among the top 13 in batting charts — where Samson is at 7th — no one has a better SR, not even Buttler (150.76), who’s at the top and has had a vital role in RR sitting comfortably in the top four with six wins.

    On Monday against Kolkata Knight Riders, Samson had to do that extra bit. After all, he hadn’t hit a 50-plus score since their opening game. He came into bat in the third over, he had to bide through an over each of searing Umesh Yadav and dangerous Sunil Narine. But when Umesh overstepped in his next over, it was the moment for him; he hit consecutive fours off the pacer. A six off Anukul Roy and a four off Narine followed.

    However, with Buttler dismissed, Samson had to play a different role. He, along with Karun Nair, and then Riyan Parag, anchored the innings, cruising to his fifty in 38 balls. Over the next ten balls, he managed just four runs before getting out, but it was much-needed innings for RR and even more for Samson.

    With the player pool for the World Cup shrinking, every innings is an opportunity for him. “I think it is up to Sanju now, understand how he wants to utilise it and maximise,” Rohit said back in February. It’s safe to say, he’s on the right path.