The Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured their fourth consecutive victory in style, defeating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Openers Jos Buttler (100*) and Sanju Samson (69) were the stars of the show, stitching together a match-winning 148-run partnership.
Explosive batting from Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson
Chasing a target of 184, the Royals lost young Yashasvi Jaiswal early. However, captain Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler steadied the ship with a combination of aggression and caution.
Jos Buttler unleashed his power in the final over of the Powerplay, smashing boundaries to take RR to a comfortable position. Both batsmen reached their fifties in quick succession, with Sanju Samson bringing up his fifty in style off just 33 balls. Their dominant partnership put RR in a commanding position before Samson’s dismissal.
Calm Heads See Rajasthan Royals Home
While the loss of Samson provided a brief glimmer of hope for RCB, the experienced Jos Buttler remained unfazed. He, along with Shimron Hetmyer, finished the chase with five balls to spare. Buttler fittingly sealed the victory with a six, reaching his first IPL century in the process.
Shane Bond Lauds Jos Buttler
Rajasthan Royals’ assistant coach, Shane Bond, praised both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson at the post-match press conference. He was particularly delighted to see Buttler finally convert his good practice form into a match-winning knock. Bond also highlighted the crucial role of the captain, Sanju Samson.
Shane Bond, assistant and fast bowling coach of Rajasthan Royals in the post-match press conference talked about Jos Buttler’s knock:
“Obviously delighted for Jos Buttler. You know we have been winning games without the opening partnerships but he and Yashasvi Jaiswal has been striking the ball very well in the nets. So it’s about time if one of them starts firing. It’s god to see Jos Buttler at his best and the boys came with the win.”
Shane Bond on RCB’s Miscalculation
Bond believes RCB’s decision to play an extra spinner on a pitch that favored pace bowling backfired
Shane Bond on RCB miscalculated in the game:
“We are lucky that we got five outstanding bowlers. But there isn’t a lot to offer for spinners on this wicket. We think RCB miscalculated by playing an extra spinner on this pitch and it costs them probably in terms of the game. But end of the day it was a good wicket – runs were scored and there was something for the bowlers, if you change pace in the right areas and bounce high enough. Both teams weren’t consistent with the ball in hand.“
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Royals’ Bowling Strategy and Sanju Samson factor
Shane Bond commended the Royals’ bowling attack, particularly highlighting the consistency of Avesh Khan and the crucial role he played in the death overs. Bond also praised Sanju Samson’s captaincy, particularly his bowling choices and excellent communication with the team.
Shane Bond, assistant and fast bowling coach of Rajasthan Royals said:
“If you look at this tournament, Avesh Khan has been the consistent death bowler. He has closed the couple of games at the back end. It wasn’t Trent Boult’s best day today and Avesh did a pretty good job in the middle and I think Sanju Samson has got pretty good faith in him from previous encounters where he has bowled good yorkers.”
“I think it’s beauty about our team, we have talked about using spinners deeper and we got options. Sanju Samson has been doing a excellent job, captaining the team. His communication is excellent and the bowling choices he has been making are spot on.”
Samson’s leadership, combined with the explosive batting of Buttler and Samson, has propelled the Rajasthan Royals to a winning streak. With Bond’s expert coaching on the bowling side, the Royals seem to be a team on a mission.
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