Rajasthan Royals were brutally beaten by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. A 10 wicket loss after having scored 177 is something very difficult to gulp. But RR skipper Sanju Samson feels that his team has recovered from that jolt pretty quickly and is looking forward to their next meeting against Kolkata Knight Riders tonight.
“In a long and gruelling tournament like the IPL, it is of primary importance to stay positive–and that’s exactly how we were by the time we got into the team bus. Even before we reached our hotel, some good music had already helped us leave the past behind,” Sanju wrote about the last game in his column for Hindustan Times.
The Kerala man stressed the fact that his team is less worried about the Points Table and more about the health and well being of their players. “At this very early stage of the tournament, worrying about our position in the league does not achieve anything. But if you channel that same energy into the health and welfare of your team, it ends up achieving a lot,” he wrote.
Talking about his leadership role and how it has affected his game and his behaviour as a team man, the 26-year-old wrote, “I was always a complete team player, but until last year there were enough reasons to stop myself from going up to someone after a loss and giving him advice and taking charge of the dressing room atmosphere.”
“All that has changed this year with leadership. My responsibilities have been heightened–towards the players and their mindsets,” he added.
He might be struggling in the tournament post his opening game hundred, but Samson believes that ‘Man-management’ during difficult times is key, and he is utilising all the learnings that he has had from his previous captains and coaches and also from Kumar Sangakkara, the current Royals coach to come back strong.
“I have learned plenty from previous RR leaders, be it Rahul (Dravid) sir, Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane or Paddy Upton. But I am learning more every day from a guy called Sanga, who is yet to lose his poise under pressure.
In fact, we all have our dinner at one long table. These are small but important steps that go a long way in trying to improve the bio-bubble experience,” he said.
Samson’s Royals now face Kolkata knight Riders in today’s clash at the Wankhede Stadium and the skipper believes that with individual performances (Shivam Dube and Ryan Parag) coming, the team can click together soon as well. “Now I can only hope that these individual performances are soon converted into match-winning performances. Until then, rest assured that we are keeping the faith,” Samson concluded.