Jaipur, Mar 24 (IANS): Skipper Sanju Samson's valiant inning of 82 not out and his 93-run partnership with Riyan Parag for the third wicket propelled Rajasthan Royals (RR) to 193 for 4 in 20 overs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.
Electing to bat first on a flat dry wicket, Rajasthan Royals kicked off the proceedings with the dynamic duo of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal while left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan started the proceedings for LSG. Naveen-ul-haq bowling the second over for Royals drew the first blood for Giants. After conceding two boundaries against Buttler, Haq got rid of the England batter courtesy of a brilliant low diving catch by skipper KL Rahul. The Royals lost their first wicket for 13.
Jaiswal continued his slaughter from the other end as he smashed two consecutive boundaries off Mohsin Khan. The first one was a little full outside off delivery to which Jaiswal thumped down the ground through sweeper cover and the other one was cut down to the deep backward point.
Jaiswal was joined by skipper Sanju Samson who started carefully without taking any risk. However, after a few deliveries, Samson took charge against Khan in the second last over of the Power-play and scored a boundary and a six.
Jaiswal too joined the party and smashed a paddle scoop off Khan behind the wicket for a six. Despite conceding 17 runs, Khan had the last laugh in the over as he sent Jaiswal back.
In another attempt to go big, Jaiswal lost his wicket to Khan, pulling a short and quicker one into the hands of mid-on fielder Krunal Pandya. Jaiswal got out for 24 off 12 deliveries.
Riyan Parag, who came in at No.4, got off to a decent start but soon started changing gears and unleashed some big shots, proving an able partner to skipper Samson.
Parag punished Yash Thakur, his first over costing 21 runs. Both the Royals batter marked their bowlers and took all possible risks to score against them. Ravi Bishnoi was welcomed with a 15-run over by Parag and Samson.
Skipper Samson reached his maiden fifty against Lucknow Super Giants in 33 deliveries. In between this, left-arm unorthodox spinner Krunal Pandya held the game in favour of the Giants. His four-over spell cost just 19 runs and he did not concede a single boundary.
Riyan Parag fell short of his half-century as he was dismissed by Haq, who bagged his second wicket of the evening. The over already saw the Royals batter scoring 14 runs, a boundary, a maximum, and few wides and singles. However, in an attempt to pull a short ball over a deep backward square leg, Parag holed out to substitute fielder Deepak Hooda, getting out for 43.
Parag and Samson added 93 runs for the third-wicket partnership. However, the partnership was marked by three dropped chances by the Giants fielder. Mohsin Khan dropped Parag at 21 and Samson at 36.
Skipper Samson was the key batter for the Royals as he continued to find gaps and score boundaries with ease. His innings of 82 off 52 deliveries were marked with six maximums and three boundaries.
Even though Rajasthan is only 193 for 4, their total is still impressive. Samson's sixth six of the innings, a brilliant inside-out drive past long-off, ends the match and dents Mohsin Khan's last over. He had the option to leave the last ball and get out, but he managed to bat it well enough to end up undefeated on 82 from 52 balls—a fantastic captain's effort.
Brief score:
Rajasthan Royals 193/4 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 82 not out, Riyan Parag 43; Naveen-ul-Haq 2-42, Ravi Bishnoi 1-38) against Lucknow Super Giants.