Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, suffered a heartbreaking loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the reverse fixture of IPL 2023. The home team, the Royals were expected to win this game given SRH was in the last spot in the points table. In the game, the 2008 winners won the toss and batted first. They had a great start as Yashasvi Jaiswal (35 0ff 18) provided a great start.
After his wicket, Jos Buttler (95) and Samson (66*) took the team to 214/2 at the end of the innings. In reply, the 2016 winners didn’t lose wickets regularly but were lagging behind the required run rate. The likes of Abhishek Sharma (55) and Rahul Tripathi (47) got back some form but weren’t able to keep up with the required run rate. However, the likes of Heinrich Klassen (26) and Glenn Philips (25) changed the game.
In the last over, Sandeep Sharma managed to defend 17 runs in the over. However, he overstepped on the last ball of the game. Eventually, Abdul Samad won the game with a last-ball six. The Orange Army won the lost battle and managed to keep themselves alive for the playoff race.
Life is never easy playing the T20 format: Sanju Samson
Meanwhile, in the last two overs, RR had 41 runs to defend in their bank. They had the option of bowling with impact sub, Obed McCoy. However, skipper Sanju Samson went with Kuldip Yadav, who doesn’t have enough experience. He got hit for three sixes by Phillips.
“Matches like this make IPL special. You can never never feel you have won the game until you have won it. I was confident in Sandeep, but that no-ball… They batted sensibly, and credit has to go to them the way they batted. Life is never easy playing this format in this tournament. You have to be at your best each and every game. We will come back and do it all over again,” Samson said in the post-match presentation.
This is how Twitter reacted
People blaming Sanju for giving 19th over to Kuldeep ?
Dude he had only conceded 26 from his 3 overs and McCoy was 13 in 1 over. So any captain would choose kuldeep who's known for bowling good Yorkers. Had he pulled off no one would've praised him. It is what it is
— Shravan Kudla (@kmcrhsm_) May 8, 2023
Poor guy.. Kuldip and Sandeep has defended before.. This was his last option in bench
— Adith Shyam (@adithshyam93) May 7, 2023
Mahn after doing so well in batting cant see this, no matter what you say he is still a very young captain he has won you tough games by his captaincy he may loose some too we shall accept it and try to win all 3 games left !
— KUNAL SINGHAL (@KUNALSI37135493) May 7, 2023
Why Sanju u gave that over to kuldip yadav when there is obed..that decision distroying everything bro..??
— Jobin Joy (@JobinJo31917452) May 7, 2023
Sanju Samson is so devastated with his shitty bowlers but boy what grace after such a heartbreaking loss!#SanjuSamson #RRvsSRh #RRvSRH #SRHvRr #SRHvsRR
— Immortality (@ajay36mittal) May 7, 2023
Wtf, whose that commentator, what kind of question was that, gotta feel bad for sanju ?
— Ramakrishna (@ark2037) May 7, 2023
what is wrong with the questions exactly?
may be people have forget this is how these things happen. not how indian commentators do it as they are afraid of outrage that can follow.
— ?nkit?? (@CaughtAtGully) May 7, 2023
Commentators are there to ask questions not to pamper and console players after they fail.
Unfortunately with cricketers attacking commentators who ask tough questions in India we are more used to the spineless kind who are there mainly as comedic relief
— Arpit Gupta (@Cricfanatic10) May 7, 2023
What's exactly "poor" in this question?
— Mayank (@ImMayankB) May 7, 2023
That's exactly a proper follow up question! He didn't respond properly…the answer should have been, yes by the looks of things, we needed a few more
— criKvoice (@crikvoice) May 8, 2023
