Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson admitted that crucial mistakes in key moments cost his team dearly during their 58-run defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. RR, tasked with chasing a stiff target of 218, were dismissed for 159 in 19.2 overs as Gujarat’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout the innings.
Reflecting on the loss, Samson pointed to lapses in both the bowling and batting departments.
“We gave away 15-20 runs extra in the bowling,” he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
“When we needed momentum, we lost wickets. With Hettie [Shimron Hetmyer], sixes and fours kept coming. But I lost my wicket and that’s where we lost the game.”
Samson contributed a quick 41 off 28 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes. Along with Riyan Parag, he shared a 48-run stand that gave the Royals a brief glimmer of hope before Gujarat’s disciplined bowling unit turned the tide.
The RR captain also praised Jofra Archer for providing a solid start with the ball.
“The way Jofra started was good, he picked up Shubman’s wicket. Then we went off plan. We planned something but they executed something else. We will have to look at that tomorrow,” Samson noted.
The Royals have generally performed well while batting first this season, but their struggles while chasing have become more apparent. Samson acknowledged the growing debate around their chasing ability.
“When you lose games, we also feel should we have chased? Should we have done something else?”
“We want to be a team that wins games while chasing, not just win batting first,” he added.
With this loss, Rajasthan faces a period of reflection as they aim to get their campaign back on track in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Also SEE : Dominant Gujarat Titans Thrash Rajasthan Royals By 58 Runs In IPL Showdown
Match Recap:
Sanju Samson won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, posted a massive 217/6 on the back of strong performances by Sai Sudharsan (82 off 53), Jos Buttler (36 off 25), and Shahrukh Khan (36 off 20).
Among RR bowlers, Tushar Deshpande (2/53) and Maheesh Theekshana (2/54) picked up two wickets each. Jofra Archer (1/30) and Sandeep Sharma (1/41) claimed one wicket apiece in their four-over spells.
In response, Rajasthan’s chase faltered. Shimron Hetmyer top-scored with a brisk 52 off 32, while Samson added 41. But the rest of the batting order struggled against a well-rounded GT attack.
Prasidh Krishna was the pick of the bowlers for Gujarat, returning figures of 3/24. Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore picked up two wickets each, while Kulwant Khejroliya, Arshad Khan, and Mohammed Siraj took one apiece.