You are the captain. You have two successive ducks. The team is four for two, chasing a target of 178 when you take guard. And you set the win up by making a mockery of arguably the best T20 bowler in the world.
Welcome to the world of Sanju Samson.
The Rajasthan Royals captain layed the foundation for Shimron Hetmyer and the lower order for its first win against defending champion Gujarat Titans in front of a 81,000-strong turnout at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
No wonder then that Samson was chased by autograph-seekers at the airport as he, along with director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara, left Ahmedabad before the rest of the bunch.
“The captain absorbed a lot of pressure there. He chose the moment to try and push the game forward. He was nicely backed up by others,” said Trent Boult as a matter-of-fact after the Royals’ win.
Watching Samson in full flow is a treat for a fan. When he is at his nonchalant best, he makes even the best of the bowlers look ordinary. His perfect cover drive off his Titans counterpart Hardik Pandya in the eighth over proved that he had regained his silken touch.
And his three consecutive sixes off Rashid Khan without much fuss in the 12th over underlined that he was eyeing not just his form but the bigger prize of overhauling a target that seemed improbable at the halfway mark.
While he couldn’t carry on the innings, Hetmyer’s blitzkrieg ensured that Samson was ecstatic, and not agonising, at the end of the game.
Comments
SHARE