IPL 2024: Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel steer RR to verge of playoffs

Rajasthan Royals’ Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel celebrate the team’s victory against Lucknow Super Giants

If IPL 2024 is audition for India’s T20 World Cup selection, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson seems to be ticking all boxes – be it batting, keeping wicket or leading a side that is well ahead of the rest in the league table and on the verge of an IPL playoffs berth.

Saturday was no different for Samson. He first rotated his bowlers well to restrict hosts Lucknow Super Giants to 196/5 after electing to bowl. He then led from the front, top-scoring with an unbeaten 71, his fourth half-century of the IPL season, and third in a winning cause.

Samson (71* — 33b, 7×4, 4×6) raised an unbroken 121-run stand with Dhruv Jurel (52* – 34b, 5×4, 2×6) to take RR to 199/3 in 19 overs, notching up a facile seven-wicket win. Eight wins in nine matches have almost put Royals into the playoffs.

The RR skipper walked in at 60/1 in 5.5 overs and produced a match-winning knock on a sluggish pitch of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday. He and Jurel, the new India Test stumper, kept the scoreboard ticking in a 62-ball fourth-wicket partnership.

Earlier, LSG skipper KL Rahul joined an elite club by aggregating 4,000 runs in IPL, scoring his third fifty of the season. His 48-ball 76 (8×4, 2×6) made him the fastest opener to the landmark. He has taken only 94 innings to get there as an opener.

Despite the quick dismissals of Quinton de Kock (8) and Marcus Stonis (0) in the first two overs, Rahul continued to lead the scoring, after making 82 against CSK on home turf last week. His 115-run third wicket stand with Deepak Hooda (50 — 31b, 7×4) rescued LSG from the early slump. Hooda, who had a fine debut season with LSG in 2022, came into his own for the first time this season, scoring his eighth IPL half-century.

However, Nicholas Pooran (11), Ayush Badoni (18*) and Krunal Pandya (15*) could add just 46 runs in the last five overs.

Brief Scores: LSG 196/5 (KL Rahul 76, D Hooda 50, Sandeep Sharma 2/31) lost to RR 199/3 in 19 overs (S Samson 71*, D Jurel 52*) by 7 wickets

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