Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson conceded that Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s superior intent was the key differentiator in their crushing nine-wicket loss at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.
Despite setting a respectable 174-run target on a slow Jaipur pitch, RR were outplayed by RCB’s aggressive start and clinical finish.
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“After losing the toss on a slow wicket, 170-plus was a good total. But Salt and Kohli won the game in the powerplay itself,” said Samson, as RCB chased down the target with 15 balls to spare.
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Phil Salt‘s blistering 65 off 33 balls set the tone, while Virat Kohli‘s record 100th T20 half-century anchored the chase. Kohli, unbeaten on 62, stitched a decisive 83-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal, who added 40.
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While RR dropped multiple catches, Samson refused to single out fielding lapses. “They dropped ours, we dropped theirs. But their intent was better, and that made the difference,” he admitted. “I would’ve liked to take this game to the 19th or 20th over.”
Despite back-to-back losses, Samson remains optimistic. “People have owned up to mistakes. We’re in a good mindset and need to bounce back.”
With this dominant win, RCB look to build momentum mid-season, while RR must regroup quickly.