Despite Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffering a 44-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Sanju Samson etched his name in the record books by becoming the first RR batter to score 4000 runs in T20 cricket.
One of the franchise’s longest-serving players, Samson continued his impressive form in the IPL 2025 clash on Sunday.
Samson’s Knock in Vain
Samson played a brisk 66 off 37 balls, keeping RR’s hopes alive in their massive 287-run chase. His 111-run partnership with Dhruv Jurel (70) for the fourth wicket added some excitement to the game.
However, his innings ended when Harshal Patel forced a mistimed pull shot, which went high into the air before landing safely in Heinrich Klaasen’s gloves.
As he walked back, Samson became the first batter to reach 4000 T20 runs for Rajasthan Royals.
- Matches: 147
- Runs: 4000
- Average: 32.00
- Strike Rate: 141.04
He is now just 192 runs away from 4000 IPL runs for Rajasthan, having also scored 192 runs in the Champions League T20 for the franchise.
SRH’s Batting Onslaught
Batting first, SRH posted a record-breaking 286/6, thanks to:
- Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 106
- Travis Head’s explosive 67
- Cameos from Nitish Reddy (30) & Heinrich Klaasen (34)
RR’s Struggle in the Chase
Chasing 287, RR lost Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Nitish Rana early. Despite efforts from Samson and Jurel, the steep asking rate proved too much, resulting in a 44-run defeat.