“Keep your head up”
There is a very large probability that Sanju Samson heard those words in the Rajasthan Royals dressing room after a heartbreaking loss to the newly re-branded Punjab Kings. Samson, who walked out to bat in the very first over, smashed 119 in just 63 balls. For context, the next highest score for the Royals was 25.
Punjab put up a mammoth total of 221 In their 20 overs, with captain KL Rahul leading by example with a scintillating 91. For the second time in as many seasons, The royals had a target of over 220 to chase. The early losses of Stokes and Vohra put them on the back foot, but quick 25 run cameos from Jos Buttler as well as 19 year old Riyan Parag set up the game for a thrilling conclusion.
A polarizing player, Samson strikes the ball cleaner than most players on the planet, and throughout this innings, Samson placed the Royals on his back and dragged them towards the finish line, playing a captains innings in only his first game as captain, re-paying the faith that the team management as well as coach Kumar Sangakara had shown in him.
When Parag was dismissed, Samson was on 84, and yet with an over to go, the Punjab team would have had flashbacks to the last time they made 220+ against Rajasthan. That time, an innings of 2 halves from Rahul Tewatia, whose 5 sixes in an over propelled Rajasthan to the highest run chase in IPL history. This time, it looked like it was Samson who was going to help the Royals crawl over the line.
With 5 being required off 2 balls, Samson didn’t take a single, leaving Cris Morris at the non strikers end for the final ball, and in hindsight, it might not have been the right call, with Samson unable to take the Royals home, but it was still a move that showed responsibility. In that moment, Samson accepted the criticism that came with being unable to take the team home, but he also showed to everyone, including his team, that he is willing to risk taking the blame of losing, to have a better chance of winning.
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