“Nothing works”: Sanju Samson bows down to MS Dhoni explaining how data and analysis are useless in front of him

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson (0) barely weathered a storm named Mahendra Singh Dhoni (32*) in Indian Premier League 2023 Match 17 against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tonight.

Samson, who became only the second RR captain after Shane Warne to beat CSK at their home ground, could have easily become another of those captains who were unable to stop Dhoni from sealing a thrilling run-chase in the last over of a cricket match.

Notwithstanding a solid 40-run cushion under their belt in the last two overs, Royals were able to register a 3-run victory on the last ball of the match. Samson, who could have bowled Jason Holder (0 & 0/37), Sandeep Sharma (1/30) and Kuldeep Sen (0/8) in any order, handed the ball to Holder and Sharma in the 19th and 20th overs respectively.

Although the match went down to the wire, Sharma didn’t betray the captain’s trust by putting breaks on Dhoni when he needed five runs off the last ball to secure a victory. The 29-year old player deliberately bowled round the wicket to the 41-year old player to secure a victory for his team.

Sanju Samson bows down to MS Dhoni explaining how data and analysis are useless in front of him

Speaking to host broadcaster Star Sports Network during the post-match presentation ceremony, Samson admitted to be worried throughout the last two overs. The visiting captain didn’t mince words to confess that his counterpart’s mere presence in such a situation generates a lot of pressure.

“At the end, I was worried to extend the match till the last ball. You never feel that [match in your pocket] when that guy [MS Dhoni] is in the middle. You have to respect that guy and what he can do. I do a lot of planning and research with our data team. A lot of thoughts are going around. Nothing works [against him],” Samson told Star Sports.

Rajasthan seemed to have a developed a strong hold on the match after dismissing Chennai opener Devon Conway (50) right before the last quarter of the innings. However, a 30-ball 59-run seventh-wicket partnership between Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja (25*) surged the excitement with respect to the contest.