Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara said it was a clinical chase from Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson after their six-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday.
RCB posted a fighting score of 183 runs on the board after Virat Kohli scored his eighth IPL century. Kohli scored a magnum opus knock of 113 runs off 72 balls with the help of 12 fours and four sixes as he batted at the top of his game.
Faf du Plessis scored 44 runs from 33 balls and added 125 runs for the opening alliance but RCB could not finish their innings on a high, managing 55 runs in the last five overs.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals was able to get over the line with Jos Buttler and skipper Sanju Samson scoring 100 and 69 runs respectively. The right-handed duo added 148 runs for the second wicket after Jaiswal was dismissed for a blob.
Buttler and Samson batted with great control and didn’t let the RCB bowlers settle in the second innings.
Kumar Sangakkara said after the match, “It was a good toss to win, pretty decisive to chase. RCB put us under pressure but the spinners and Burger got us back into the game. And the chase was clinical from Jos, Sanju and others. Everyone requires a chat but it does not need to be about cricket, form is a state of mind and Jos is the best white-ball opener in cricket for some time, you just have to let him be.”
Meanwhile, Jaiswal was dismissed cheaply as he was dismissed by Reece Topley on a short-pitched ball. The left-hander has managed only 39 runs in the four matches of the ongoing season. However, Sangakkara backed the youngster to bounce back as he was in prolific form against England in a five-match Test series, scoring 712 runs at 89.
Sanga added, “Jaiswal has had a brilliant year or two not just for RR but also in international cricket, two bad innings does not make anyone a bad player, we know his quality and we just want him to bat long, it was nice to chase down this total without his contribution. There have been a lot of honest conversations, Sanju and I have connected well and have been speaking in the off-season as well, the focus has been more inward than outward as a coaching staff this season.”
Rajasthan Royals will next take on Gujarat Titans on Wednesday at the same venue of Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur.
