The RR Captain Sanju Samson Admits Execution Lapses with Both Bat and Ball, Says Team Needs to Improve Chasing Under Pressure
Ahmedabad, April 10: After a heavy 58-run defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson admitted that his side “let the game slip” at crucial moments and failed to execute key plans.
Chasing a daunting total of 218, the Royals were bundled out for 159 in 19.2 overs, as Gujarat’s bowling unit executed a near-perfect plan.
“We gave away 15-20 extra runs with the ball,” Samson said during the post-match presentation, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “When we needed momentum, we lost wickets. With Hettie [Hetmyer], sixes and fours were coming, but I lost my wicket and that’s where we lost the game.”
Samson, who contributed 41 off 28 balls, shared a 48-run stand with Riyan Parag before the collapse began. His dismissal proved to be a turning point, despite Shimron Hetmyer’s fighting 52 off 32 balls.
Reflecting on the bowling effort, Samson praised Jofra Archer’s early breakthrough but acknowledged that the team strayed from their strategy. “Jofra gave us a great start, picking up Shubman [Gill] early. But then we went off-plan. We had a strategy, but it wasn’t executed. We’ll need to look at that again,” he said.
The Royals have been strong while batting first this season, but their inconsistency while chasing totals is becoming a concern.
“When you lose games like this, you start wondering—should we have chased? Should we have done something differently?” Samson noted. “We want to be a team that wins while chasing too, not just defending totals.”
With this defeat, Rajasthan must now reassess their approach, especially under pressure in second innings scenarios.
Match Recap:
Batting first, Gujarat Titans posted 217/6 on the board. Sai Sudharsan top-scored with 82 off 53, while Shahrukh Khan (36 off 20) and Rahul Tewatia (24* off 12) provided late fireworks.
For RR, Tushar Deshpande (2/53) and Maheesh Theekshana (2/54) picked up two wickets each.
In reply, Rajasthan Royals could only manage 159, with Hetmyer and Samson as the only notable contributors.
Prasidh Krishna starred for GT with 3/24, supported by Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore, who took two wickets each.