The Rajasthan Royals are flying high this year in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the having won four of their first six matches. They have a net run rate of +1.043 and this has helped them stay at the top of the table despite the chasing pack led by Lucknow Super Giants staying on their heels. RR's wins have largely involved them swatting teams aside which has helped them get their net run rate higher than anyone else's.
A large part of the team's success has often been attributed to captain Sanju Samson this season. Samson has been hailed for the calm and collected manner in which he has led the team from behind the stumps and for the significant contributions he has made with the bat. Samson has maintained a strike rate of 160.60 thus far this season, scoring 159 runs in six matches.
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Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has stated that the 28-year-old seems to have become assured with his skills and is showing the kind of attributes as captain that MS Dhoni showed for many years with the Indian team and with the Chennai Super Kings. Shastri also said that it is similar to what he is seeing at the moment with all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is captain of the Gujarat Titans and had led them to the title last season.
“You say you stamp your personality as a leader. You see that with Hardik, he calls the shots, takes the decisions. You see that with Dhoni. He takes the decisions, there is no two ways about it, he might be right or wrong. Sanju has improved a lot. You can see that quiet confidence in his own ability and he understands his game a lot better,” said Shastri on ESPNCricinfo.
{{/usCountry}}“You say you stamp your personality as a leader. You see that with Hardik, he calls the shots, takes the decisions. You see that with Dhoni. He takes the decisions, there is no two ways about it, he might be right or wrong. Sanju has improved a lot. You can see that quiet confidence in his own ability and he understands his game a lot better,” said Shastri on ESPNCricinfo.
{{/usCountry}}RR had gone on a run of three back to back wins which helped them take a two-point lead at the top of the table. However, their run was ended by their closest competitors Lucknow Super Giants in their previous match. LSG had scored 154/7 and then restricted RR to a score of 144/6, thus winning the match by 10 runs. While they drew level on points with RR, the latter's superior net run rate allowed them to stay on top of the standings.