Rajasthan Royals (RR) Head Coach Kumar Sangakkara lauded skipper Sanju Samson for his contributions to the side and said that he plays selflessly, and always puts the team first. These words came after RR defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the second time in ongoing IPL 2023.
RR posted 202/5 on the board after Sanju Samson chose to bat first with major contribution coming from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made 77 and then Dhruv Jurel (34) and Devdutt Padikkal (27*) finished well for the team.
In reply, CSK only managed 170/6 in 20 overs with Shivam Dube making 52 and Ruturaj Gaikwad making 47. For RR, Adam Zampa took 3/22, while R Ashwin took two wickets, as RR won by 32 runs.
In a video shared by Rajasthan Royals on their Twitter handle, the head coach can be seen singing praise for captain Sanju.
“Skipper, thank you for going in. I think when you watch Sanju bat one of the things that Jos has made this observation before is that he always plays for the side. Not about the runs, but it’s about how he scores. He showed intent, he led by example,” Sangakkara said.
The head coach praised the captain for setting a positive example and setting a good tone for the other players. Samson made 17 in 17 balls.
“I thought irrespective of the runs, that tone that you set the example that you set is great for the rest of your side to follow. So, brilliant skip. Well played,” he concluded.
Here is the video:
On the other hand, RR captain Sanju Samson said at the post-match presentation, that this was a win that the team and the dugout really wanted, while insisting that they will keep promoting an attacking mindset within their side.
“This is a win the team and dugout really wanted. The way youngsters Jaiswal, Devdutt, Jurel batted was outstanding, the mindset of attack, attack and attack is something we will keep promoting in the dressing room.
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Credit goes to the team management and support staff [for working with players like Jaiswal] who work very hard at the academy. Lot of work has gone behind his success. Proud of the way he's playing,” Samson added.
Both CSK and RR are tied on 10 points each after 8 games but Sanju Samson-led side took the top spot due to their better net run-rate.
