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Despite watching his side fall to a 44-run defeat, Sanju Samson rewrote history books by becoming the first batter for Rajasthan Royals to hit the 4000-run mark in the T20s.
One of the Royals' longest-serving players, Samson, continued his sublime form with the bat on Sunday during their encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Samson played a brisk 66 (37) to keep his side in contention for a victory against the odds. He stitched up a 111-run partnership alongside Dhruv Jurel for the fourth wicket to add another layer of spice to the gripping 287-run chase. Samson's exploits came to an end at the hands of Harshal Patel after he ballooned the ball into the air while trying for a pull shot. The ball went high in the air and landed straight into Heinrich Klaasen's gloves. As the 30-year-old dragged his feet back to the dressing room, he had become the first to reach the elusive mark. Samson now boasts 4000 runs for Rajasthan Royals in 147 T20s, averaging 32.00 at a strike rate of 141.04. Samson is still 192 runs short of breaching the 4000-run mark for the Royals in the cash-rich league. He has represented Rajasthan in six Champions League T20 matches, garnered 192 runs at an average of 38.40, including three fifties. It was a run-scoring fest in the Sunrisers' home den as the explosive batters broke the shackles and unleashed a reign of terror over the Royals in the first innings. The hosts blazed their way to a record-shattering 286/6, courtesy of an unbeaten ton from Ishan Kishan (106) and flashy knocks from Travis Head (67), Nitish Reddy (30), Heinrich Klaasen (34). In reply, the Royals lost Yashasvi Jaiswal, stand-in skipper Riyan Parag and Nitish Rana early in the chase. Samson and Dhruv Jurel (70) tried to keep them in the chase, but the asking rate soared past their reach, resulting in their 44-run defeat. (ANI)
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