Sanju Samson namedropped MI and CSK as he talked to his teammates and PBKS players after the IPL 2024 match on Saturday.
Mumbai Indians will host Chennai Super Kings in a blockbuster Indian Premier League battle on Sunday. The two sides will meet for the first time since the change in captaincy in both franchises; while Hardik Pandya leads MI, Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the CSK captaincy merely a day before the start of the season.
Sanju Samson (L) talking to RR and PBKS players after the match on Sunday(X/Punjab Kings)
MI and CSK are joint-most successful franchises in the tournament with five titles each, and justifiably, are among the biggest crowd-pullers in the league. Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson acknowledged as much, even after his own side played out a thriller against Punjab Kings on Saturday.
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Historically, RR and PBKS have battled in dramatic IPL games, with many reaching the final over – or even the final ball. On Saturday, it was yet another thrilling finish to the game between the two sides, as the Kings almost pulled out a stunning win despite defending a paltry 148-run target. RR secured a win on the second-last ball of the delivery, with seven of their batters being dismissed.
As the players from both sides met after the match, Samson joined them as they talked about the match, and made an interesting remark on the rivalry between the two. “CSK aur MI ke baad apni hi viewership hai bhai (After CSK and MI, we have the most viewership),” said Samson.
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In the game, RR bowled well to restrict the Kings to 147/8, with Trent Boult and Keshav Maharaj bowling at an economy rate under 6. However, RR’s experiment with sending Tanush Kotian to open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal backfired, as the uncapped Indian played 31 balls for only 24.
Samson (18) and Riyan Parag (23) tried to up the ante but were dismissed in quick succession. Eventually, the Royals required a strong cameo from Shimron Hetmyer (27* off 10 balls) to get past the finishing line, as they recorded a fifth win in the season in six matches.
RR at top
The Royals remain at the top of the points table after the win over the Kings, with 10 points to their name. PBKS, who played without Shikhar Dhawan (injury) in the game on Saturday, are now eighth in the points table with two wins in six matches.
Royals will end the week at the top spot irrespective of the remaining matches on Sunday; the side is four points ahead of the second-best side in the tournament, Kolkata Knight Riders.
