IPL 2021: Sanju Samson storm can’t blow Punjab Kings away

Rajasthan Royals skipper Samson hits ton on captaincy debut but holes out in last ball for Punjab Kings to win nail-biting clash at Wankhede Stadium

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson fell agonisingly short of taking his team across the finish line as they ended up losing by four runs to Punjab Kings in a thrilling and high-scoring IPL-14 encounter at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Samson’s 63-ball 119 ( 12x4, 7x6) was not enough as RR finished on 217-7 off their 20 overs, chasing Punjab Kings’ 221-6.  Samson was out caught in the deep off the last ball of the match as he attempted a six with five runs needed for victory.

Earlier, some big-hitting from Punjab skipper KL Rahul 50-ball 91 (7x4, 5x6) and Deepak Hooda (28-ball 64, 4x4, 6x6) saw the Kings go past the 200-run mark comfortably. Earlier, Rahul and Hooda pummelled the Rajasthan Royals bowlers into submission with their sensational stroke play.

Hooda goes hard

While Rahul smashed seven fours and five sixes in his 50-ball 91, Hooda, playing his first game since the last IPL, plundered six maximums and four boundaries as he blazed his way to 64 off just 28 balls. Put into bat, Punjab lost opener Mayank Agarwal (14) early, who edged it back to Royals captain and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson for IPL debutant Chetan Sakariya’s first wicket.

Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul en route his 50-ball 91 against RR

He ended being the pick of the bowlers, conceding only five runs in the 20th over. Rahul, who got his first four with a glance to the fine-leg fence, and Chris Gayle (40 off 28) gave the team a good start with their 67-run stand.

Rahul got a 'life’ after Ben Stokes dropped him at the fence in the seventh over even as Gayle, looked in his elements. The duo then took on Stokes, as Gayle hit his 350th IPL six, a pull over deep square in the 8th over with Punjab racing to 70 for one.Gayle was dropped by leggie Rahul Tewatia (0/25) off his own bowling and the very next ball, the left-hander smashed a six.

Perfect Parag 

However, in the 10th over, Riyan Parag (1-7) removed Gayle, who was holed out to Stokes in the deep. Rahul then changed gears and got to his fifty with a six over Shivam Dube’s (0-20) head in the 13th over. Hooda then smashed two maximums in the same over and then struck three sixes off Shreyas Gopal (0/40) in the next as Punjab went ballistic.

It was Rahul and Hooda’s show at the Wankhede that made the difference to their total as the duo tore into the opposition attack on way to  their 105-run stand.
Courtesy their monstrous hitting, Punjab added 111 runs in the final eight overs.

Hooda, who had made a 62 against CSK in his last competitive game in November, had stormed out of the Baroda camp ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after claiming that Krunal Pandya misbehaved with him. Hooda was subsequently suspended.

Brief scores
PBKS 221-6 (KL Rahul 91, D Hooda 64, C Gayle 40; C Sakariya 3-31, C Morris 2-41) beat RR 217-7 (S Samson 119, R Parag 25; M Shami 2-33, A Singh 3-35) by four runs

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