By Sanju Samson continued his stellar form in Rajasthan Royals’ opening games since 2020, scoring 82 off 52 to lead a 20-run win against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on Sunday, March 24. With Riyan Parag’s 43, Royals set a target of 193/4. Despite half-centuries from KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran, Royals’ timely wickets kept Super Giants at 173/6.
The match started with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler facing difficulties on a dry pitch. Buttler edged a drive to KL Rahul, marking an early exit. Jaiswal and Samson, however, countered with aggressive batting. Parag had a close call but survived, contributing to the middle-over momentum.
Samson and Parag built a 93-run partnership, with Samson hitting a 33-ball fifty. Despite a few scares, they kept the scoreboard ticking. LSG fought back, but Royals finished strong with Samson and Dhruv Jurel boosting the total in the last over.
Royals Triump with Samson, Bowlers Leading the Way
Early in LSG’s chase, Trent Boult and Nandre Burger delivered crucial blows. Yet, Rahul and Pooran’s powerful batting kept LSG in contention. Royals, however, tightened their bowling with Ashwin and Sandeep Sharma putting pressure on. Despite Pooran’s fifty, Royals maintained control, securing a win with Avesh Khan’s effective final over.
The Royals’ bowlers, particularly Trent Boult and Nandre Burger, made significant early inroads, disrupting LSG’s top order. This set the tone for a disciplined bowling performance that managed to keep the Super Giants’ chase under control despite the opposition’s middle-order resurgence
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 193/4 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 82*, Riyan Parag 43; Naveen-ul-Haq 2-41) beat Lucknow Super Giants 173/6 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 64*, KL Rahul 58; Trent Boult 2-35) by 20 runs.
