Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson praised pacer Sandeep Sharma, comparing him to Jasprit Bumrah for his impactful performance in IPL 2024, taking 13 wickets in 11 games.
Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2024 journey concluded with a 36-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 in Chennai. Chasing 176, Sunrisers’ spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma dominated the middle overs, claiming five crucial wickets against RR.
In the post-match presentation after Rajasthan’s loss, RR captain Sanju Samson conceded that the spin duo surprised them, leading to limited options during the middle phase, ultimately impacting the outcome. Samson noted the changing pitch behavior in the second innings, favoring spin, which Sunrisers tactfully utilized.
“We were found short of options in the middle overs against their spin, that’s where we lost the game. The wicket started behaving differently in the second innings, the ball started turning a bit, and they used that advantage really well. They bowled their spin in the middle overs against our right-handed batsmen, that’s where they were one-up against us,” Sanju said.
“Against their left-arm spin, when the ball was stopping, we could have tried a bit more reverse-sweep or maybe use of the crease a bit more. They also bowled really well,” he added.
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Despite falling short of reaching the final, Rajasthan Royals showcased promising young talents like Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag, earning praise from Samson for their potential impact on both RR and Indian cricket. He also commended Sandeep Sharma, who, initially unsold in the auctions, joined as a replacement for Prasidh Krishna. The skipper expressed delight at Sandeep’s impactful bowling, suggesting his potential to follow in the footsteps of elite bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah.
“Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and a lot of them are looking really exciting not only for RR but definitely for the Indian cricket team. We have had some great seasons from the last three years,” Samson said.
“I am really happy for him. By not being picked in the auctions and coming back as a replacement. the way he bowled, he has definitely delivered. If we look at the numbers, Sandeep Sharma in the last two years, he will be the next guy after (Jasprit) Bumrah. He has done a great job,” he concluded.
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Last Updated on May 25, 2024
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