Rajasthan Royals registered their second successive win in the ongoing IPL season.
Asked to bat first, RR rode on opener Jos Buttler’s 68-ball 100 to post 193/8 on the board. Shimron Hetmyer (35 off 14 balls) and Samson (30 off 21 balls) also chipped in with handy knocks.
MI were in the chase till the last over as they needed 29 off 6 balls. Navdeep Saini was assigned to bowl the final over and he did a fabulous job for RR, conceding only 5 runs and also dismissing the swashbuckling Kieron Pollard to ensure his team’s convincing victory.
Speaking after the game, Samson praised the bowling effort of his team.
“It feels really good to win. With Pollard there at the end, the game was still on and we did well. Playing a quality team like Mumbai Indians, we know they will come after you. Have to trust in your death bowlers and that’s what I had. We knew that a couple of wickets and things would turn. Have to trust our bowling attack, there are a lot of thinkers and it was about just trusting them. As the tournament goes on, we have to learn our lessons and move forward, whether we win or lose,” said the Royals skipper at the post-match presentation ceremony.
For his outstanding century, Jos Buttler earned the Player-of-the-Match award. It was his second IPL ton and the first of this year’s IPL.
“Feels fantastic to contribute to a win. Was a bit nervous at the halfway mark, wondering if the innings will result in a win or not. The last few months have been wonderful, so just carrying on from there. Family time has helped me to relax and refresh. I always have confident coming into white-ball cricket, that’s where my strength is,” said Buttler at the presentation.