After Rajasthan Royals’ agonizing loss to Gujarat Titans in a thrilling clash on April 10, captain Sanju Samson refused to blame his teammates. Still emotional from the rollercoaster game, Samson acknowledged the challenge of analyzing a tough defeat immediately afterwards. Despite Rajasthan’s strong start, posting 196 runs and reducing Gujarat to 133-5, they still could not finish with a win.

Sanju Samson faced scrutiny for some questionable decisions while defending 196. The most glaring was underutilizing experienced fast bowler Trent Boult, who bowled just two overs. Samson also opted not to use a left-arm pacer during the high-pressure death overs when the Titans closed in. Instead, he relied on Avesh Khan despite Avesh leaking 31 runs in his first three overs. The gamble backfired, as Rashid Khan struck three boundaries off Avesh’s final over to seal the Titans’ win over the 2022 champions.

Rajasthan put on an impressive performance in a thrilling rain-interrupted match against Gujarat. Shubman Gill’s dismissal for 72 by Yuzvendra Chahal in the 16th over left Rajasthan needing 64 runs in 27 balls. Gujarat’s star finishers Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia then seized control, leading their team to victory on Wednesday. Shahrukh Khan also made a critical impact, contributing to the tense run chase as an Impact Player.

“To be honest, it is very difficult to speak right now. As captain, having to address the media after a tough loss and analyze where we went wrong is one of the hardest parts of the job. Perhaps after some time, I’ll be able to provide a clearer assessment.” said Samson.

Sanju Samson praised the Gujarat batters for their strong performance but admitted that he thought his team’s total of 196 was defendable.

“When I was batting, I believed a score around 180 would be competitive. I thought 197 would be enough to win. The wicket was dry. With our bowling attack, we should have defended the total, but they batted well. It was difficult to score quickly at the start of our innings. However, we paced our innings effectively. A total of 197 in Jaipur, without dew, is a good score and you would take it any day,” he added.

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