Rajasthan Royals maintained their position on top of the IPL 2023 points table with a narrow three-wicket victory vs defending champions Gujarat Titans, in Match 23, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In what was a rematch, both sides had met in last year's final with Hardik Pandya's side coming out on top. Chasing a target of 178 runs, RR reached 179/7 in 19.2 overs, with Sanju Samson slamming 60 runs off 32 balls. Meanwhile, Shimron Hetmyer smacked an unbeaten knock of 56 runs off 26 deliveries. For GT's bowling department, Mohammed Shami was in good bowling form and took three wickets, and Rashid Khan scalped two dismissals.
Initially, GT posted 177/7 in 20 overs as David Miller registered 46 runs off 30 deliveries. Meanwhile, Sandeep Sharma took two wickets for RR.
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During the chase at one point, RR were four wickets down for 55 runs in the 11th over, but Samson and Hetmyer responded in style for RR. Samson turned the tide of the game in the 13th over, with three sixes off Rashid Khan. In his four-over spell, the Afghan spinner conceded 46 runs.
Speaking after the match in the dressing room, RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara praised Samson for tormenting Rashid out of the blue. "Skipper, you not just got us through the powerplay but that Rashid Khan over, and then you kicked on from there, that was the game changer. Their best bowler, some say the best T20 spinner in the world, was completely caught off-guard. It just goes to show that when you’re in the game, anything is possible. Whether it’s Rashid Khan, Shane Warne, or Muralitharan. It doesn’t matter when we are in the game. We play the ball, not the man. Brilliantly done", he said.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking after the match in the dressing room, RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara praised Samson for tormenting Rashid out of the blue. "Skipper, you not just got us through the powerplay but that Rashid Khan over, and then you kicked on from there, that was the game changer. Their best bowler, some say the best T20 spinner in the world, was completely caught off-guard. It just goes to show that when you’re in the game, anything is possible. Whether it’s Rashid Khan, Shane Warne, or Muralitharan. It doesn’t matter when we are in the game. We play the ball, not the man. Brilliantly done", he said.
{{/usCountry}}RR are currently on top of the table with eight points in five matches, including four wins and a defeat. For their next match, they face Lucknow Super Giants in Match 26, in Jaipur.