Rajasthan Royals looked to lose it all when they were 2 wickets for just 4 runs. Hardik Pandya and Mohammad Shami used the pitch of Narendra Modi Stadium to their advantage in the powerplay cricket match. TATA IPL 2023 could not have been at a more interesting point, with Gujarat Titans having scored 177 runs and 7 wickets during their inning and RR getting a pretty decent target to chase after losing the toss.
The table turned, and RR took home a 3-wicket victory by continuing the image of the pitch where chasing teams have won until now. Some of the best cricket betting sites, therefore, had their odds inclined to the team which would bat later.
Shaun Pollock, the South African all-rounder, believes that the over which relieved the pressure on the team was bowled by Rashid Khan. It was the 13th over when Sanju Samson hit three consecutive 6s. Fans say two more, and Rinku Singh’s moment would have been perfectly recreated.
Coming back to GT versus RR, Pandya-led GT was in a strong position when Hardik Pandya sent Jaiswal back to the pavilion. Shubham Gill made that catch look easy, and the simple celebration only went on to make that evident. Mohammad Shami joined the party in the next over by bowling out Jos Butler, someone who could have been dangerous when set on the pitch.
Then came Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer at their respective batting positions. A half-century each made sure that the lower order had little work to do while crossing the winning line. Samson scored 62 off 32 balls, and Shimron put up 56 off 26 balls, remaining unbeaten after Samson’s shot was caught by David Million in Noor Ahmed’s over.
Win definitely, landed on the side of RR. Shaun Pollock interacted with the media and said that this win would help RR with a lot of self-belief as they move on with the tournament. Pollock has also appreciated Pandya and Shami, saying that they bowled one of the best four overs in the powerplay. Calling them absolutely superb, Pollock added that it felt like the game was done & dusted.
The key moment was, according to Pollock’s statement, Samson hitting Rashid Khan for three back-to-back 6s – creating a belief that got Hetmyer going with his batting.
Gujarat Titans are in the 3rd position at the time of drafting this article – after the conclusion of Match 23/70 – and they now have all eyes on Lucknow Super Giants to redeem the loss. GT will first have to think about what they can do to win a game. A loss against RR could be a setback, but this has happened for the second time.
The previous loss against KKR also came from a point where it looked that GT had the match in their hands. RR is leading the leaderboard with the next match scheduled to happen against LSG on April 19, 2023.
