Sanju Samson. (Source -IPL/BCCI)
After a brilliant start to their IPL 2024 campaign, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) are going through a tough patch, losing four matches in a row. Their latest defeat came against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Guwahati on 15th May. Following the five-wicket defeat, RR skipper Sanju Samson admitted his team is going through some failures that need to be addressed urgently.
The Royals had won eight of their first nine matches to race to the top of the table. However, losses to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and now PBKS have pulled them back. Delhi’s win over Lucknow Super Giants secured RR a playoff berth, providing some relief. But their spot in the top two is under threat from SRH and CSK who could surpass them.
Samson was blunt in his analysis post the PBKS game. “To be honest, we have to sit back and accept that we’re going through some failures. When you lose four in a row, you have to find out what’s not working well in the team. When you are getting to the business end of the season, you need someone to raise their finger and say, ‘I am going to win the game for the team’,” Samson said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
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We need individuals to step up: Sanju Samson
The RR skipper called for his star players to put their hands up and deliver match-winning performances. “Yes, this is a team sport, but we have a lot of match-winners on the side, and we need individuals to step up. So it’s about having the right characters who can play with passion, and singlehandedly win the game for us. If all of us try that, and even a couple [of players] manage to step up, it would make a difference. We need those characters who can carry us,” he added.
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Samson highlighted RR’s struggles batting first on slow tracks like in Guwahati and earlier in Chennai. “We’re not used to playing in this kind of wickets in this season when teams have been scoring 200 or 220. We had to play smart cricket and focus on the basics and build momentum, trying to get boundaries here and there,” he further added.
In their final group stage match, RR will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders. A victory in this crucial encounter would not only increase their chances of securing one of the top two positions in the group but also provide them with much-needed momentum heading into the Qualifiers.