Sanju Samson's unbeaten 71 off 33 balls and Dhruv Jurel's 52 not out off 34 balls powered Rajasthan Royals to a convincing seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. Chasing a target of 197, Samson and Jurel stitched together an unbeaten 121-run stand for the fourth wicket to take Rajasthan Royals home comfortably in 19 overs.
Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants, put in to bat first, rode on a 115-run partnership between skipper KL Rahul (76 off 48 balls) and Deepak Hooda (50 off 31 balls) to post a competitive 196 for 5 on the board. Sandeep Sharma was the pick of the Rajasthan Royals bowlers, picking up two wickets for 31 runs in his four overs.
Read Also | LSG vs RR: KL Rahul Becomes Fastest Opener in IPL History to Score 4000 Runs
Rajasthan Royals bowlers started well, dismissing openers Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis cheaply. However, Rahul and Hooda steadied the Lucknow innings with their third-wicket partnership. Once they departed, Rajasthan Royals bowlers kept chipping away with wickets at regular intervals, restricting Lucknow to a total that ultimately proved inadequate.
In reply, Rajasthan Royals lost their top three batsmen within the powerplay. But a composed knock from Samson, laced with seven fours and three sixes, and a fluent fifty from Jurel, with four fours and two sixes, ensured a comfortable win for the Royals. This win keeps Rajasthan Royals in playoff contention, while Lucknow Super Giants will need to bounce back in their upcoming matches.
Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants: 196 for 5 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 76, Deepak Hooda 50; Sandeep Sharma 2/31).
Rajasthan Royals: 199 for 3 in 19 overs (Sanju Samson 71 not out, Dhruv Jurel 52 not out; Amit Mishra 1/20).
