Sanju Samson gives a bizarre response after Rajasthan Royals' maiden loss in IPL 2024
After winning four consecutive games, Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered their first defeat of the season against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur last night. Rashid Khan’s heroics with the willow in the lower order snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on the final delivery, helping GT breach the Jaipur fortress.
Following the game’s conclusion, Sanju Samson gave a cryptic reply when asked where his team lost it. Sanju weirdly replied “The last ball” before adding he could answer after the emotions settled.
“(On where they lost) I think, the last ball of the game (laughs). To be honest, it is very hard to speak at the moment. It's the hardest job in the tournament when the captain loses the game, and he is supposed to tell where we lost. When the emotions come down a bit and after a few hours I might be able to tell you where exactly we lost."
Sanju might be frustrated with the poor execution of Avesh Khan, in the final over, especially on the last delivery, bowled wide outside the off-stump line with no backward point. It may have led to a bizarre response to a straightforward question by the broadcaster.
With our bowling attack, we should have done it: Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson felt his batters did their job by posting 196/3 in 20 overs, given the track was dry and low. He explained the track wasn’t easy to score from the start and 197 was above par.
“When I was batting, I thought something around 180 would be a fighting score. The way Hetty (Hetmyer) dominated at the end of the innings, I thought that was a winning score. There was no dew, and the wicket was a bit dry and low. With our bowling attack, we should have done it, but they also batted really well. I don’t think it was easy to go hard at the start of the innings. We really paced the innings nicely. 197 at Jaipur without dew - you’d take it any day.”
Clearly, it was a tough pill to swallow for Sanju, who looked devastated following the defeat. However, it is a long tournament, and such losses will come here and there, so Sanju’s focus should shift from this defeat now.
Rajasthan Royals are still sitting at the top of the table with four wins in five games. They will be on the road for their next two fixtures against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
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