Sanju Samson, captain of the Rajasthan Royals, has expressed his disappointment after his team’s devastating nine-wicket loss against the Gujarat Titans in the 48th match of IPL 2023 on Friday, May 5. Samson has called on his teammates to pull up their socks and start winning games.
The defeat came as a huge blow to the Royals as they are losing momentum when most teams are hitting top gear. After beginning their season with four wins from their first five games, their form has been on the decline. The team has managed to win only one of their last five games, which is a matter of concern for the RR think tank.
During the match against the Titans, nothing went right for the Royals as neither the batsmen nor the bowlers could make an impact against the reigning champions. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, RR was all out for a paltry 118 in less than 18 overs. Only Sanju Samson, who scored 30, managed to cross the 15-run mark. Number 9 Trent Boult was the second-highest scorer for the Royals with just 15 runs.
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The RR bowlers did not have a good outing either as the Titans chased down the total in just 14 overs while losing only one wicket. Openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill shared a 71-run stand for the opening wicket before the former and Hardik Pandya shared an unbeaten 48-run stand to take their team home.
After the match, Samson spoke about his team’s struggles against the Titans’ spinners, who accounted for five wickets while conceding just 39 runs. He also defended his teammates, saying there was not much they could do against the Titans’ bowlers who were bowling well.
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“We had a very tough night, didn’t really have a good powerplay to start with and struggled against the spinners. Their bowlers were bowling good line and length and kept on taking some crucial wickets during middle overs, and when that happens, there is nothing much you can do,” said Samson.
He further added that the team needs to check their to-do list and see if they are playing good cricket. The Royals have a couple of crucial games coming up, and they are looking forward to winning games in the next few weeks.
In short, the Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson is optimistic about his team’s ability to bounce back and perform better in the upcoming games. However, they will have to work on their weaknesses, including their struggle against spinners and their low-scoring batting, if they want to keep their hopes of making it to the playoffs alive.