Man of the Match today: The prestigious award could’ve won by as many as three players in a cliffhanger match tonight.
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During the fourth match of the ongoing 14th season of the Indian Premier League between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings in Mumbai, both the teams put on display yet another high-scoring thriller.
With as many as 438 runs scored in the match, a winner was declared on the 240th delivery when Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was dismissed after scoring his third IPL century.
Needing 13 runs to win the match, Samson couldn’t dominate Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh as the latter delivered when it mattered the most. With bowling figures of 4-0-35-3 in a high-scoring clash, Arshdeep was doubtlessly the pick of the Punjabi bowlers at the Wankhede Stadium.
After Samson won the toss and invited Punjab in to bat earlier, they had posted 221/6 in 20 overs on the back of individual half-centuries from captain Lokesh Rahul (91) and batsman Deepak Hooda (64).
Man of the Match today RR vs PBKS
Chasing a mammoth 222-run total in his first IPL match as a captain, Samson commenced his captaincy career by leading from the front in the best way possible. Coming in to bat at No. 3 in the first over itself, Samson first hit a couple of boundaries off Punjab Kings pacer Mohammed Shami to get going.
What followed was Samson continuing to hit opposition bowlers throughout the innings as he scored a career-best 119 (63) with the help of 12 fours and seven sixes.
Samson, who hit some terrific sixes to become a source of amazement, had to hit another boundary off the last ball of the match to ensure a super over or a victory but it wasn’t to be. Despite ending up on the losing side, Samson’s mind-blowing innings earned him the Man of the Match award tonight.
Every year we see him play in the IPL and ask the Qs: why is @IamSanjuSamson not a regular white ball player for India? Dropped a couple of times, but what shots.. makes batting look easy.. #IPL2021
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) April 12, 2021
“The second part of my innings was my best IPL performance. But I went back to the basics, communicated with my partners, accepted they were bowling well, rotated strike early and got into my rhythm. I really enjoy my shots, but I come to the present after playing them.
“When I am in the zone, and watching the ball well, the sixes come out naturally, and in that process I tend to lose my wickets also,” Samson told Star Sports during the post-match presentation ceremony.
