IPL 2023: Momentum shifted in middle overs, says RR skipper Samson after loss to PBKS

With 16 runs required off six balls, RR fell five runs short of the target despite debutant Dhruv Jurel carting Arshdeep Singh all over the ground in the penultimate over.

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson plays a shot during the IPL match against Rajasthan Royals at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati on April 5, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson said the dip in momentum in the middle overs during the chase was one of the major reasons for his side’s five-run defeat to Punjab Kings on Wednesday.

“In games like these, momentum shifts from you pretty quickly. We started off very well. In the middle, we were expecting to get boundaries here and there. But we couldn’t and that’s where we lost it. Even after that, we did well to get close to the target. With a couple of boundaries here and there, we could have [won],” said Samson.

“The idea to keep Devdutt Padikkal in the middle overs was to counter their spinners. They had a left arm and leg spinner out, so we wanted to counter it with his left-handed batting,” he added.

Speaking on the decision to send in Ravichandran Ashwin to open the innings, Samson said, “ [Jos] Buttler had a small injury, which happened during fielding. The physio didn’t have enough time to do his stitches. So, the idea was to send Ashwin bhai and to hold everyone back. He [Buttler] is fine; he had his stitches, batted well and should be fine.

Royals managed to cut down the margin of defeat only thanks to a spirited rear-guard action from Shimron Hetmyer and impact substitute Dhruv Jurel, who scored 32 off 15 balls.

The 22-year-old Jurel showed no signs of nerves on his IPL debut as he carted Arshdeep Singh all over the ground in the penultimate over to reduce the target to 16 runs in the last six balls.

“That’s how we work as a franchise. He [Jurel] has been with us for the last two years. We make sure that those who play only domestic tournaments come to our academies. We did five to seven such camps across the country and we made sure players like Jurel, Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal attended these camps.”

“The way he batted, taking on international bowlers in his first game in a pressure situation tells a lot about him and I am hopeful he will win us a few games,” said Samson.

One of the important factors behind Royals’ run to the 2022 final was its bowling unit, led by Trent Boult and Yuzvendra Chahal. But on Wednesday, Royals bowling had an off day, with Chahal leaking 50 runs in his four overs, the most runs he has conceded in an IPL innings.

“We expected this to be a high-scoring game and we were prepared for dew to set in for the second innings. But we had dew right from the first innings. We have definitely learned a lot from this game and we will come stronger in the next one,” said the Royals captain.