Not 140-kind of wicket: Sanju Samson on defeat against PBKS

Following a five-wicket loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2024 on Wednesday, Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson shared his thoughts on the challenging pitch at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.

Samson highlighted that the pitch was not conducive to scoring just 140 runs and emphasized the need for individual players to step up.

Samson himself scored 18 runs off 15 balls at a strike rate of 120, hitting three fours but no sixes.

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Reflecting on the first innings, Samson noted, “[On the surface] We were expecting the wicket to be a touch better. I think it’s not a 140-kind of wicket; we should have got around 160. I think that’s where we lost the game. It would have been nicer to have one more bowling option; it gets a little tough when you have just five. But I am used to it. And we have quality five bowlers.”

Despite the challenging conditions, Samson acknowledged the team’s need to accept the defeat and focus on improving. “To be very honest, we have to sit back and accept that we are going through some failures. You have to find out what’s not working well as a team. When you are getting to the business end, we need someone to raise their finger up and say, ‘I am going to win the game for the team.’ We have players who can do that. If all of us try that, it’s a team sport, but this is the time when we need individual players to step up,” he added.

Samson’s insights highlight the challenges RR faced in the match and the importance of both collective and individual contributions as they move forward in the tournament.