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Tag: Sanju Samson

  • IPL 2021: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson needs to lead from the front with bat, says Gavaskar

    By IANS
    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has to be consistent instead of performing well early in the season and then fizzing out, said former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

    Samson scored a blistering 119 in the first match of the IPL season but has since managed scores of 4, 1 and 21.

    “First and foremost, the captain has to stand up and deliver. He did it in the first game but that has been the problem with him. That is one of the reasons why he has not been featuring in the Indian team is that he scores runs in one game and then he looks to do it and carry on as if he’s batting in the next game from the same game, and that’s how he keeps getting out,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

    “So therefore, I think if the captain leads by example, the captain scores runs because he is the one class act in the team,” said Gavaskar.

    He said that while RR have powerful batsmen in David Miller and Chriss Morris down the order, they don’t have a proven finisher in the team which makes it all the more important for the top order to perform well.

    “Yes there is David Miller, there is Chris Morris who can come in and smash a few but at the top of the order, they need to get it right because what happens is that they have a little problem at No 5, 6 and 7. They don’t really have any finishers and that is the reason it is so important that the captain at the top of the order gets you lots of runs,” Gavaskar pointed out.

  • IPL 2021: Need to be honest with ourselves and come back better, says RR skipper Sanju Samson

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals might have lost against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) here at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday evening, but the Royals managed to reach close to the 180-run mark after losing early wickets — 177/9. In fact, it was the opening partnership between Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Virat Kohli that saw RCB take the game away from RR.

    And skipper Sanju Samson wants his side to do some homework before coming back to play the next game on Saturday against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

    “They batted really well. We did well to get that score on the board after the early wickets. We need to go back and do some homework,” Samson told host broadcaster Star Sports at the post-match presentation.

    “We need to be honest with ourselves and come back better. Need time to look into what went wrong and understand, I am sure we will come back well,” he added.

    RCB batsmen Padikkal and Kohli bludgeoned the Royals bowling attack and Samson admitted that this kind of defeat has put their morals down.

    “This game… It puts you down but you need to find a way and come out better,” Samson opined.

    Meanwhile, Kumar Sangakkara, Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Cricket, wants one of the top four batsmen to put on a big show in the ongoing IPL 2021 if his side aspires to get over the line in upcoming games.

    Rajasthan Royals lost wickets at regular intervals but Shivam Dube and Rahul Tewatia helped the side reach 177/9 after a poor start.

    “Today was a game of two halves. We struggled through that first 6-7 overs and the next 13 overs despite having lost wickets, we still managed to get a 176 (177). So, you see the ability there is just need to build those partnerships and one of the top four they need to get a big score,” Sangakkara said in a virtual press conference. 

  • No plans to change: RR captain Sanju Samson says he will continue to bat the way he loves

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson is not bothered about failures and said he would continue to play his shots and keep on batting the way he loves to in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

    Samson scored a blistering ton in the first match which Royals lost narrowly to Punjab Kings but failed to come good against Delhi Capitals and against Chennai Super Kings on Monday night.

    “Yeah, actually it keeps on happening in this format of the game. I think IPL definitely demands a lot of risk-taking shots. And I said before when I succeeded, I took a lot of risks. That’s why I scored a hundred. So, it depends actually on the day, the mindset you are coming with,” Samson said at the post-match press conference after RR lost to CSK by 45 runs here on Monday night.

    “Actually, I don’t want to restrict my shots, I want to keep on playing my shots and keep on batting the way I love to bat actually. So, I’m also accepting a lot of failures on the way. So, I am not at all worried about getting out, but at the same time, I will definitely look to keep on contributing to my team’s victory in the coming matches.”

    He said the IPL is a long tournament and it was normal to fail in a few matches.

    “Pressure to perform is always there. When you play IPL, pressure is always there. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail. I think IPL is a long format and you play 14 continuous matches, it is very normal to fail in a few matches.

    “(But) it is always crucial to remember how good a team we are… So, we’ll keep on coming back and keep on trying to win the coming matches,” Samson said.

    Samson said the chase on Monday night would have been easy if dew had come in.

    “Looking at the previous matches, we played here or which we watched on the TV, I think bowling first has more advantage than bowling second.

    So that’s why we opted to bowl first and actually restricting CSK around 180 was really good work by our bowlers.

    “I thought if the dew comes on and the wicket eases out a bit, it would have been an easy chase for us actually,” he added.

    Asked about the batting order, the RR captain backed Shivam Dube, who could not get going on Monday, for the crucial No 4 position.

    “I think our batting order is very nicely set up. I think Shivam Dube is someone who is good at playing spin and pace. I think No 4 really suits him. It depends upon the condition actually.

    “I think he has definitely done really well in the domestic season and I feel he is really looking good and we expect a lot of runs from him in the coming matches. David Miller is a really great finisher and one of the greatest finishers in world cricket.”

  • Rajasthan Royals win toss, opt to bowl agains Delhi Capitals

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bowl in their IPL match against Delhi Capitals here on Thursday.

    Both sides made two changes from their previous match playing eleven.

    For RR, David Miller replaced Ben Stokes while Jaydev Unadkat came in for Shreyas Gopal.

    For DC, Kagiso Rabada came in for Shimron Hetmyer while Lalit Yadav replaced Amit Mishra for his debut match.

    The Teams: Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c/w), Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Lalit Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Tom Curran, Avesh Khan.

    Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c/w), Manan Vohra, David Miller, Jos Buttler, Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Chetan Sakariya, Jaydev Unadkat, Mustafizur Rahman.

  • Sanju Samson and Kumar Sangakkara lifted my confidence, says Chetan Sakariya on IPL debut

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals pacer Chetan Sakariya lauded Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara and captain Sanju Samson for boosting his confidence on his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut against Punjab Kings.

    In his debut game, Sakariya returned with the impressive figures of 3-31 in his four overs even when Punjab Kings posted 221. The youngster managed to take the wickets of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, and Jhye Richardson.

    “Sanga sir told me bowl according to your understanding and back yourself. If it lands on the right area the whole credit will go to you and if didn’t work we will help you. The same thing Sanju bhai did, he gave me full freedom and said I will give you the field of your choice,” the pacer said in a video posted by Royals’ on their website.

    “I got to know in the team meeting before the match that I will play in the next match. Since then I was trying to mentally prepare myself for the opportunity.

    “When I was bowling the first ball, I felt the pressure but after that, I felt it is normal cricket. The wicket of KL Rahul was special for me as we saved a lot of runs by sending him back to the pavilion,” he added.

    When asked about the stunning diving catch he took of Nicholas Pooran, he said, “I remembered my coach’s advice who told me to always be prepared for the dive and I implemented on that. The ball got stuck on the hand.

    “We lost a hard-fought game so I don’t consider this as a defeat. We will learn from here and rectify our mistakes in the next game. Sanju bhaiya showed his class as he is playing IPL for such a long time. It is very pleasing to watch him play. He times the ball very easily and effortlessly,” he added.

    Sakariya was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.2 crore in the players’ auction held in February this year. In fact, Sakariya was a net bowler with the Virat Kohli-led franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) last year.Rajasthan Royals will next take on Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

  • Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was right in not taking a single: Sanjay Manjrekar

    By IANS
    CHENNAI: A day after Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson played the magical 119-run innings but fell just short of guiding his team past the target set by Punjab Kings, opinion was divided on whether he took the right decision to not go for a run off the penultimate ball of the innings.

    The new RR skipper declined a single to Chris Morris off the second-last ball of the innings, while chasing a mammoth target of 221.

    Samson, instead, decided to go for a big hit off the last ball from Arshdeep Singh but couldn’t clear deep cover and was caught by Deepak Hooda.

    Rajasthan Royals finally managed 217 for 7 in 20 overs.

    Former India batsman and cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar said the RR captain took the right decision to not go for a single.

    “Yes, he took the right call because I am thinking, which is the greatest possibility. Samson hitting the last ball for a six with the kind of form that he was in and Morris had just come in — hitting that ball for a four and, you know, I thought hitting the six was a greater possibility than Morris hitting a four. I thought he (Samson) took the right call and almost managed it but, unfortunately, it turned out to be a great innings in a losing cause,” Manjrekar was quoted as saying by espncricinfo.com.

    Former South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn, whose last stint in the IPL was with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2020 season too felt it was the right call but felt Morris too is capable of ‘clearing the ropes’.

    “When you’re in and you feel like you can hit any ball for a six and that’s the situation that he (Samson) was in, you can’t blame him (for not taking a single),,” said Steyn.

    “I think, he knew where (Arshdeep) Singh was going to bowl… (but) you know when someone like Chris Morris on the other side can also clear the ropes, it’s probably the wrong decision. Well, it’s such a tight (decision) to make..,” added Steyn.

    On his part Samson said, “When I am in the zone, and watching the ball well, the sixes come out naturally. I don’t think I could have done better than that. I thought I timed it well for a six but unfortunately couldn’t clear the man in the deep.”

  • Sanju Samson backed himself to get the job done, good to see him take responsibility: Sangakkara

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: After suffering a narrow four-run loss against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara said that skipper Sanju Samson backed himself to finish off the game for his side and it was good to see him taking responsibility.

    Samson’s fighting hundred went in vain as Arshdeep Singh held his nerves in the final over to help Punjab Kings register a thrilling win over Rajasthan Royals here at the Wankhede on Monday. KL Rahul’s calm and composed knock, aided by Deepak Hooda’s belligerent hitting, helped Punjab Kings post 221 in the allotted 20 overs. In response, Rajasthan Royals fell just four runs short of the target to clinch the game.

    Rajasthan needed 5 runs off the final two overs, on the penultimate ball, Samson declined to take a single and on the final ball, he was dismissed by Arshdeep, giving Punjab Kings a win by four runs.

    “I think Sanju backed himself to get the job done, he nearly got it done. He was just five or six yards short of hitting the last ball for a six. Sometimes when you know you are hitting the ball so well and you are in form, you have to take that responsbility. It was encouraging to see Sanju do that, we can always talk about a missed single here or there, the crucial thing for me is players’ belief and attitude to what they know their strengths are, Sanju took it upon himself to finish the game and he just fell few runs short. But I belief next time, it happens, he will take it ten yards further to win us the game,” said Sangakkara during a virtual press conference.

    “Sanju is an exceptional player and I know when you start off with a bang, you want to talk about consistency but the real key is to understand it differs from game to game. There are passages of play when you have to play differently. Somedays you have to take more risk, but understanding your rhythm and how to build the innings, it is about constructing the innings on a new day. There is nothing for him to worry about in terms of technique, he is a special player as you saw, he has to restart from now,” he added.

    Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers took a fair bit stick from Punjab Kings batters, but debutant Chetan Sakariya managed to hold his own as he returned with figures of 3-31.

    Talking about Sakariya, Sangakkara said: “I think Chetan was just brilliant, his skill was on his display. It was so wonderful to watch a bowler always smiling and always in the game in a high-scoring game. He bowled with the new ball and he bowled at the death. Speaks a lot about his skill and attitude, it is great to have him in the side, he is a simple guy, he has had ups and downs in life. He is here to enjoy his cricket, our job is to support him. It is really good to see the control he had, the changeups. Chetan is a young man who I think will have a very good future.”

    “It is our first game, we have to stay ahead of the game a little bit and stay committed to our plans. There was a three-over period in the middle that’s where we should have stayed committed and had more energy. You need to belief that you are there to bowl good balls and take wickets. We have to keep supporting the players, we have to make them belief in their own strengths.”

  • IPL 2021: Arshdeep Singh reveals how he stopped Sanju Samson from hitting a last-ball six

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The plan was to “bowl wide yorkers” to the rampaging Sanju Samson, Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh said after he guided his team to a four-run win over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

    Samson almost took Royals home with a breathtaking 119 off 63 balls but was caught off the game’s final ball with left-arm pacer Arshdeep defending 13 runs in the last over on Monday night.

    At the post-match press conference, Arshdeep was asked how he prepares himself for bowling in high pressure situations.

    “I just back myself and the way support staff or the bowling coach said to back myself and try to keep the things simple and back the plan which has been devised after speaking to the captain and if you have to bluff, bluff the batsmen and not the captain,” Arshdeep said.

    He returned figures of 3/35 as Punjab managed to eke out a win after posting 221 for six on the board.

    The left-arm pacer dismissed Samson on the final ball as the Rajasthan skipper holed in the deep.

    Asked about his plans to bowl at Samson in the final over, Arshdeep said, “The field was set and the plan that he was to fed (with) wide (balls), had to try and bowl wide yorkers and if we could execute all the six balls, then it will be difficult for him.

    ” “The main thing was to back the execution and bowl as per the plan,” he said.

    According to the 22-year-old Guna-born speedster, there was not much dew at the Wankhede Stadium.

    ‘I guess every team now practices bowling at the depth with the dew, everyone knows that there will be some dew, but I don’t think that there was that much of dew tonight and yes every team practices because you prepare for everything,” he said.

    According to Arshdeep, no team can be written off in the IPL.

    “The wicket was pretty good and they batted really well and I guess IPL is such a big stage and such a good league, you cannot write off any team,” he signed off.

    Punjab, who started their IPL 14 campaign on a winning note, will next face Chennai Super Kings on April 16 at the same venue.

  • Sanju Samson’s century goes in vain as Punjab Kings win this last-ball thriller match by 4 runs

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals’ new captain Sanju Samson’s one man show met with last ball disappointment as Punjab Kings win the match by 4 runs in this high scoring thriller on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium Mumbai on the 12th April 2021. 

    With pacer Arshdeep Singh bowling the last over, Samson turned down Chris Morris’ call for a run in the penultimate ball and went for all in the last ball.

    With 5 runs required of the last ball, he went for a six but only to be caught along the boundary line.

    KL Rahul (91 off 50) and Deepak Hooda (64 off 28) powered Punjab Kings to an imposing 221 for six after being put in to bat on a batting beauty.

    Samson, who effortlessly struck seven sixes and 12 fours, was so confident of taking his team home that he refused a single to Chris Morris on penultimate ball of the game when Royals needed five runs off two balls.

    ALSO READ: Have no words to tell, don’t think I could have done anything more, says RR captain Sanju Samson

    In the end, it was not to be for Royals as Punjab scraped through.

    Chasing 222, Rajasthan lost opener Ben Stokes (0) early.

    Arshdeep then removed Manan Vohra (12) as he lobbed a regulation return catch, leaving Royals in trouble at 25 for two.

    Samson and Jos Buttler (25), who struck four successive boundaries off Riley Meredith, tried to take the game deep with a 45-run stand.

    Pacer Jhye Richardson pegged Rajasthan back by cleaning up Buttler.

    Samson, who was dropped twice, completed his fifty with a boundary and kept playing his shots to keep his team in the game despite losing partners at the other end.

    Royals fetched 26 runs from the 14th and 15th over and then Murugan Ashwin conceded three sixes in the 16th over, as Royals amassed 20 runs, to bring down the equation to 48 runs from the last four.

    Samson hammered Richardson for two boundaries and a six in the 18th over, in which Royals got 19 runs and took his team on the cusp of a fine win before falling short.

    Despite the win, Punjab will be worried that their expensive fast bowling recruits from Australia, Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith, leaked 55 and 49 runs respectively in their four overs.

    Earlier, Rahul smashed seven fours and five sixes while Hooda, playing his first game since the last IPL, plundered six maximums and four boundaries to fire Punjab past 200.

    They lost opener Mayank Agarwal (14) early, who edged it back to Samson for IPL debutant Chetan Sakariya’s first wicket.

    He ended being the pick of the bowlers, conceding only five runs in the 20th over.

    Rahul, who got his first four with a glance to the fine-leg fence, and Chris Gayle (40 off 28) gave the team a good start with their 67-run stand.

    Rahul got a ‘life’ after Ben Stokes dropped him at the fence in the seventh over even as Gayle, looked in his elements.

    The duo then took on Stokes, as Gayle hit his 350th IPL six, a pull over deep square in the 8th over with Punjab racing to 70 for one.

    Gayle was dropped by leggie Rahul Tewatia (0/25) off his own bowling and the very next ball, the left-hander smashed a six.

    However, in the 10th over, Riyan Parag (1/7) removed Gayle, who was holed out to Stokes in the deep.

    Rahul then changed gears and got to his fifty with a six over Shivam Dube’s (0/20) head in the 13th over.

    Hooda then smashed two maximums in the same over and then struck three sixes off Shreyas Gopal (0/40) in the next as Punjab went ballistic.

    It was Rahul and Hooda’s show at the Wankhede that made the difference to their total as the duo tore into the opposition attack on way to to their 105-run stand.

    Courtesy their monstrous hitting, Punjab added 111 runs in the final eight overs.

    Hooda, who had made a 62 against CSK in his last competitive game in November, had stormed out of the Baroda camp ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after claiming that Krunal Pandya misbehaved with him.

    Hooda was subsequently suspended.

  • Have no words to tell, don’t think I could have done anything more, says RR captain Sanju Samson

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Sanju Samson’s magnificent 119 on his captaincy debut for Rajasthan Royals came in a losing cause but he said the second part of his innings was the best he ever played.

    Samson hit 12 fours and seven sixes in his astonishing 63-ball innings but in the end failed to send Arshdeep Singh’s final ball for the maximum runs as RR lost the match by four runs.

    “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. 

    “I enjoy my shots but I come back to the present after I play those shots. It automatically happens, when I focus on my skills and watch the ball and react. Sometimes I lose my wicket also, so I just play the same way.”

    He said it was about trusting his processes and being honest to his abilities.

    “I did that, and it came off tonight. The coin (at the toss) looked really nice so I pocketed it, asked the referee if I can have it, but he said no.”

    Samson also said he could not have done better than that though he rues failing to clear the ropes on the final ball.

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

    “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.”

    Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul said he didn’t stop believing in the team and knew that a couple of wickets will give his side the win.

    “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,” said Rahul who scored 91 in his team’s 221 for 6 after being asked to bat.

    Rahul praised Deepak Hooda who hit a 28-ball 64 to lay the foundation of Punjab King’s big total, along with him.

    “It was an amazing innings from Hooda, and that’s the kind of fearless batting we want to see in the IPL.

    “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.”

    Talking about Arshdeep who dismissed Samson with the final ball of the match, Rahul said, “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.”