IPL 2021 | RR vs KKR: What Experts Said as disciplined Royals thrash spiritless Knight Riders

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson played a patient innings and stayed at the crease till the end to lead the men in pink over their second win of the season against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Knight Riders were abysmal with the bat and played without any intent in the powerplay to leave them helpless with only 133 runs on the board. In reply, the Royals were hurt early by Varun Chakarvarthay who dismissed Jos Buttler for another low score but captain Samson took it upon himself and did not throw his wicket away to lead the Royals’ comeback in the IPL 2021.

Captains’ corner

Talking about the loss, Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan lamented the hopeless batting that left them behind the curve from the word go. He also said that the lack of aggressive approach by the batsmen meant that they fell short by some 40 runs which could have made a significant difference in the end. 

He drew comparisons with the last game where the Knight Riders batted with full-on intent and took on the Super Kings bowlers and said that the bowlers could not have done any better defending only 133 runs.

“The batting was the letdown and we lacked a lot of intent throughout the whole innings. We were behind the eight ball right from the get-go. Possibly, we were 40 short which is a lot in a T20 game. The bowlers had too much to do. It's a stark contrast to the last game,” Morgan said to the host broadcaster Star.

Morgan further added that the wicket at the Wankhede Stadium was not as batting friendly as it has been in previous matches and batsmen could not overcoming the challenge of balls not coming onto the bat. He said that the Knight Riders needed at least one player who could bat with a clear mind and free approach to get to a defendable total. 

However, it was not to be and the Knight Riders came second even in the game against the Royals, who too, were struggling to lift their performances before this game in the 14th edition of the IPL.

“The wicket hasn't been as good as it has been in the previous games and we couldn't overcome the challenge. It left us with a lot to do, which we couldn't do. The clearer the mind, the easier it is. Ultimately, one guy needs to play free-flowing cricket. Two sides struggling to gain momentum in the tournament and we missed big two points,” Morgan concluded analysing a disappointing game.

The victorious captain Sanju Samson lauded the bowling line up which is an ideal mixture of young and experienced players to step up in the last few games.

Talking about the most expensive player in the auction earlier this year, Samson said that his eyes were full of emotions and it could show his eagerness to dominate the game and get the best of the opposition best batsmen.

“It was brilliant actually. The bowlers have been doing well in the last four-five matches - the youngsters as well as the seniors. I enjoy captaining them. I think we could see in Morris' eyes that we wanted the competition to get big batsmen out,” Samson said in the post-match presentation.

Samson’s risk-taking approach has always caught the attention of critics who berate him as inconsistent but the Royals skipper said that he is adapting to playing according to the situation and style that suit his team the most.

“My thought process is actually I don't come with a mindset. I just love to keep enjoying my batting, but nowadays I play according to a situation and try to win games for my team,” Samson said.

Showering praise on one of the newest members of the Royals team Chetan Sakariya who plays for Saurashtra in the domestic circuit, Samson said that the left-armer is a very chilled out person who creates a positive environment for other players. He put his weight behind him and expressed that the left-armer will be producing more and more match-winning performances going forward in the IPL.

“He's a very different kind of a person and chilled-out person. It's a very positive thing for Rajasthan Royals. He's ready to play this tournament and big matches. Hopefully, he'll win more matches for us in the future. We will take one day off and sit down and plan for the next game,” Samson concluded.

Experts’ views

Analysing the game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Knight Riders, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle deduced two broad points.

First, he said that the innings Sanju Samson played on Saturday night against the Knight Riders would give the Royals skipper a lot of satisfaction.

The second, Harsha said that the Knight Riders must sort out their batting order where the inexperienced batsmen have been assigned the task of setting the games up while the experienced pros have been stacked up lower down the order to control and finish well. He asserted that the Knight Riders are wasting their resources being a side doing ‘too much bottom loading.

The Royals bowling lineup had tightened the noose around the Knight Riders batting line up till the 12th over the mark and cricket analyst Joy Bhattacharjya put the onus on the big guns to take the Knight Riders to a respectable total.

Cricket analyst Ben Jones who keeps his hawkish eyes on all teams across the world said that the Royals bowling lineup ticked all the boxes on how should a bowler bowl to different Knight Riders batsmen.

Jones also highlighted the inflexion point for the Knight Riders who are likely to need six wins out of their remaining nine matches to have a chance to advance to the playoff stage.

He suggested that the men in purple and gold need to find a way for Lockie Ferguson in the playing XI to make the bowling attack lot more competitive than it is now.

Venerable journalist Ayaz Memon highlighted the performances of two young players from either side. He said that Shubman Gill had a horrible game both with the bat and while fielding while Sanju Samson rose to the occasion and pace his innings perfectly.

The Knight Riders have lost four out of the five games they have played this season and find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table. On the other hand, the Royals found a way through to break the chain of losing but still find themselves at only the sixth position on the points table with two wins from five games played this season.