Rajasthan Royals (RR) batsman Sanju Samson thrashed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a face-off on Tuesday. He scored 74 off just 32 deliveries which helped Rajasthan set a total of 216/7.
In reply, CSK could only manage 200/6 and lost the match by 16 runs. Samson was awarded the Man of the Match for his performance, but he felt Rahul Tewatia, the leg-spinner deserved it more than him.
Tewatia scored 10 runs off 8 deliveries, but his major contribution came with the ball. He picked up three important wickets, which includes Shane Watson, Sam Curran, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The collapse in the first half of CSK's chase made sure they find it hard to build momentum in the innings.
"For me, the Man of the Match should have gone to Rahul Tewatia for taking three crucial wickets, he was the game-changer according to me, it is very hard for the bowlers on this ground to bowl and especially with dew coming in," Samson told Tewatia in a video posted on IPL's website.
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"Whatever you score at Sharjah, it is easy to chase as dew also comes in, I think I was going after every ball, if the ball was in my arc, I had to go, I had Smith batting at the other end so I had the license to keep going. I have been batting with Smith for the last four-five years, we understand each other's game really well," he added.
Tewatia said the plan was to go for wickets and it worked out well for him. "When I came to bowl, it was crucial to take wickets, me and Smith were planning to take some wickets as Shane Watson was hitting some great sixes after the powerplay. We were able to take the wickets and it is a great feeling about winning our first match."
Samson talked about his preparation before the IPL. During the post-match presentation, he said the focus was on power-hitting during the lockdown.
"I've been working hard on my fitness, diet, and training, and on my strength, because my game relies a lot on power hitting. I think range-hitting is what the game demands in this generation. I had time to work out in these 5 months, and I think I've increased that ability."
