New Delhi:
Sanju Samson showed his class in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal on Tuesday by hammering his second century. His 102, combined with Ajinkya Rahane’s wonderful 70 helped Rajasthan Royals reach 198/2. In response, David Warner’s blazing 69 off 37 balls and aided by some solid contributions from Jonny Bairstow and Vijay Shankar helped Sunrisers Hyderabad achieve their highest successful chase in the history of the IPL. Warner’s effort put in vain Samson’s brilliant knock and the youngster made that point evident in the post-match interview when he was interviewed by the left-handed Warner.
“You destroyed my day. My 100 was not enough because of the way you batted. The way you started the innings we lost the game in the powerplay. We needed some 250 on the board with someone like you in the opposition. It was special," Samson told Warner.
In response, Warner heaped praise on Samson’s innings and said his partnership with Jonny Bairstow was the key in chasing 199. “A serious innings from Sanju and full credit to him. He came out and played really well. He allowed himself time and the wicket got better. Actually, I didn't think it was a 200 wicket. We have played on similar wickets where if you bowl that hard length it is tough to get under. He showed us how to go about it. Me and Jonny have partnered really well since Kolkata. There have been a few hiccups with him trying to get off the mark. I have been hogging the strike a little bit, but over the years I have been held back a little bit. We know this ground pretty well. We know the dimensions well. There has been a breeze from one side for the last two days but tonight it wasn't there. You have to be calculative with your batting,” Warner said.
The win was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first in this tournament while for Rajasthan Royals, it was their second consecutive loss. Speaking after the match, Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that David Warner’s knock was the difference in the chase of 199. “When someone like Warner (69 off 37 balls) bats like that, it's very less margins for the bowler. They didn't lose momentum throughout. When he (Warner) got out, Vijay Shankar batted well too,” Rahane said.
