“That’s a Deadly Combo!” – Sanju Samson Hails Archer-Sandeep Pair After RR’s Win Over PBKS
Rajasthan Royals skipper praises his bowlers’ brilliance under pressure, credits team’s balance in 50-run triumph over Punjab Kings
Chandigarh, April 6: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was all praise for his bowling unit — particularly the pace duo of Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma — after their side clinched a comprehensive 50-run victory over Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 clash at Mullanpur on Saturday.
“That is a very deadly combo — one guy bowling at 150 and another at 115. I trust them with pressure overs,” Samson quipped with a smile, also joking about Sandeep touching 130 km/h, saying, “We should cut a cake on that maybe!”
Archer and Sandeep combined for five wickets, breaking the backbone of PBKS’ chase and silencing the home crowd after Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell briefly threatened to turn the game on its head.
Reflecting on RR’s innings with the bat, Samson acknowledged a slightly slow start but praised the depth and maturity of his batting unit.
“The way we started in the powerplay, I felt we were running a bit short. But with the quality of batsmanship we had, I knew 205 was a good score on this pitch,” he said. “It’s a young batting line-up, but they’ve played enough to assess conditions well,” he added.
The Royals’ innings was anchored by a dynamic 89-run opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal (67 off 45) and Samson himself (38 off 26). Later cameos by Riyan Parag (43 off 25)* and Shimron Hetmyer (20 off 12) powered them to a formidable 205/4.
In response, PBKS were rocked early by Jofra Archer’s fiery spell, slipping to 43/4. Nehal Wadhera (62) and Maxwell (30) steadied the innings, but the Royals’ bowlers came back strong. Sandeep Sharma (2/21) and Maheesh Theekshana (2/26) helped seal the win as PBKS could only manage 155/9.
With this result, RR moved to two wins from two matches, marking a confident bounce back after a shaky start to their IPL 2025 campaign.
“Wins like these build momentum. I’m proud of how the boys responded under pressure,” Samson signed off.
