IPL 2020 Match Report: Awesome Samson and Archer’s acts ensure Rajasthan’s royal win over Chennai

Yet, it is not too often when one can witness such a wide range of clean-hitting. Maybe, Samson just wanted to prove a point to Chennai against against whom he has struggled in the past. (an average of just 11.29) Samson greeted Sam Curran for a four and a six in the fifth over of the innings. And, then the carnage followed. He was particularly harsh against experienced spinners of Chennai (Jadeja was hit for consecutive sixes) and Piyush Chawla (went for three sixes in his first over).

“My game plan is stand and deliver. If it's in the arc I go for it, and it's very important to keep the intent to hit the ball if it's there to be hit,” said Samson after the end of the match.

“I think range-hitting is what the game demands in this generation,” added the Man of the match who brought up his quickest IPL fifty in just 19 balls in this game.

Smith’s smooth innings

From 1 for 132 in 12^th over, RR were soon on the back-foot after Samson’s departure.  When they lost Robin Uthappa on the first ball of the 15^th over when the score was 149. It is easy to forget that captain Steve Smith had scored just 5 runs less than Samson’s 69. Unfazed by wickets tumbling at the other end, the Australian who was even doubtful for the first match, led by exemplary display of batting.

Baffling CSK run-chase approach

Many a times (especially in a tight run chase)  Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s approach has been scrutinised a lot. This was one of those games where it was tough to make sense of CSK’s logic in front of a daunting target.

Openers Shane Watson and Murali Vijay didn’t gave their wickets away but just 25 runs at the end of four overs was a curious approach. “With 217 on the board, we needed a very good start which was not the case,” admitted Dhoni later in the post-match presentation.

However, Dhoni himself didn’t do much better as far as urgency was concerned during the chase. The required run rate at his arrival (16.26) was massive but his first 9 runs off 12 balls till the 19th over defied all logics especially with his iconic image of a six-hitter.

In fact, it was the South African Faf du Plessis who took the challenge on his shoulders when 102 runs were needed off 36 balls. Faf slammed leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia for two sixes and pacer Unadkat for three sixes while bringing the equation down to 58  off 18. Once du Plessis departed and Dhoni faced the last over, 38 runs were needed. Dhoni did hit 3 sixes in a row in the last over but it was too late for any miracle even by his standard.

Archer the architect

In the end, RR managed to win by a margin of only 16 runs despite scoring 216 runs. Jofra Archer’s stunning cameo (27 off just 8 balls) with four sixes in a row shifted the momentum completely. “I think the last surge from Jofra was an incredible bit of hitting,” said Smith later on.

And, he was equally good with the ball. 13 dot balls in his four overs and conceding just 26 runs which also included the wicket of du Plessis was perhaps the ultimate difference between the two sides.  “It's a nice feeling to get over the line. Sharjah is a pretty small ground, can't give them anything extra on this surface. I had to adapt, bring in the variations, there was plenty of dew on this surface,” said Archer after the win.

(Vimal Kumar is a senior sports journalist who has covered multiple cricket world cups and Rio Olympics in the last two decades. Vimal is also the author of Sachin: Cricketer Of The Century and The Cricket Fanatic’s Essential Guide.)

Check the complete IPL 2020 coverage HERE.