Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson admitted that no-ball from Sandeep Sharma in the final over against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur ruined their result after their four-wicket loss on Sunday.
On what was supposed to be the final ball of the innings, when five runs were needed, Sandeep Sharma had Abdul Samad caught at long-off but he made the mistake of overstepping the popping crease. On the next ball, Samad smashed a six to help his team seal the thriller.
In fact, Rajasthan Royals dominated the game for the first 38 overs but the bowlers could not execute their plans in the final two overs. SRH required 41 runs off the final two overs while chasing a huge score of 215 runs.
This was the highest chase ever by SRH in IPL history and also the highest ever at this venue. The match was turned on its head when Glenn Phillips scored a brilliant cameo of 7-ball 25. Samad also added the finishing touches as he scored 17 runs from seven balls.
In fact, Sandeep Sharma had won RR the game against Chennai Super Kings while bowling the final over against MS Dhoni. However, his no-ball against SRH cost them the game on Sunday.
Sanju Samson said in the post-match presentation, “This is what IPL gives you, matches like these makes the IPL special. You can never, never, never feel like you have won the game. I knew any opponent can win it and they were batting well too, but I was confident with Sandeep (defending the final over). He has won us a game from a similar situation (against CSK). He did it again today but that no-ball ruined our result.”
Meanwhile, earlier in the match, Rajasthan Royals posted a par score of 214 runs after a brilliant knock of 95 runs from Jos Buttler, who returned to his best.
Furthermore, RR captain Sanju Samson scored a blistering knock of 66 runs off just 38 balls as he batted at his best. However, unfortunately for the hosts, Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler’s heroics with the bat went in vain.
Rajasthan Royals will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday.
