“All we needed was someone to stay with Sanju” – Kumar Sangakkara after defeat to DC
“Good times, bad times, you know I’ve had my share”, could be the song on our minds after the Royals’ defeat against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. After a fine bowling performance, the batters stuttered to a 33-run loss despite captain Sanju Samson’s heroics in Abu Dhabi. Our skipper scored an unbeaten 53-ball 70 while wickets kept tumbling down around him.
While we were able to post 185 in the last game in Dubai, things didn’t go our way at all against the Capitals, and our Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara reflected on our batting and credited Delhi’s bowling attack for stifling us throughout the chase.
"154 was a great total to limit Delhi Capitals to, [what] we needed to do was not be careless in the first 10 overs. Unfortunately, Delhi came hard at us, they bowled smartly and we weren\"t up to it," Sanga said at the post-match presser at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
While our batting didn’t click at all, Sanga believes it’s not something he is worried about given the quality of the batting line-up. He has backed the players to do well as the tournament goes forward.
"I wouldn\"t worry too much about the lower middle-order, they got us out of a lot of trouble in the first half of the IPL this season, and I am sure they will come good, as we go along,” he added.
Sanju Samson was the lone warrior in the chase against DC and scored an unbeaten fifty after a relatively slow start. Sangakkara has backed Sanju and said that he batted well but wickets kept falling in quick succession which meant we had no significant partnership.
"Well, it was a tough one for the skipper, he was batting so well. All we needed was someone to stay with him and unfortunately losing wickets so regularly, didn\"t allow Sanju to cut free early on,” he said, giving his hundred per cent support to the skipper.
Sanga has further added that RR won’t necessarily be making a change in the eleven because of the defeat. Meanwhile, Sanju, too, said that a decision on the playing XI will be made when the emotions from the defeat have dried up.
"It is not just about making changes, it is about whoever does play, to kind of stick to the game plan and understand what is happening and assess conditions,” Sanga said.
"I thought the total was chaseable but we lost too many early wickets and weren\"t able to get any momentum in our chase. We might consider changes for the next game, but it is too early now. We have to remove all emotion before that,” Sanju said at the post-match presentation.
After our defeat to the table-toppers and Punjab’s win over SRH, RR have slipped to 7th in the table. We will be looking to bounce back against SRH on Monday without overthinking this loss, considering there’s barely any time in between. And after all, our captain said at the toss yesterday, “a match can’t really be judged before it’s played.”
What did think of our captain Sanju Samson’s knock again Delhi Capitals? Send in your views on Twitter at @rajasthanroyals or to me @cricketpun_duh
