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After Rajasthan Royals' (RR) defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), captain Sanju Samson on Sunday came out with an honest reply and said that he does not have an "answer" to his team's batting collapse at 59 against RCB.
Bangalore bounced back in style, after two losses in a row, to register crucial two points on the table as they beat Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The RCB bowlers, led by Wayne Parnell (3/10), then came out all guns blazing to scalp five RR wickets inside the Powerplay. The hosts never recovered from that as they were bowled out for 59 inside 11 overs. "I was just thinking seeing the batting collapse where we went wrong? I don't think I have an answer to that yet. We all know the nature of the IPL, we've seen some funny things happen in the league stage. We have to keep strong, take a day off and think about the game in Dharamshala. I think we need to end on a strong note. We have to take responsibility on the whole as a team for this performance," Samson said at the post-match presentation. RR not only posted the third-lowest total in IPL history, but it was also their second-lowest total in an innings at the event. The defeat saw RR slipping to the sixth spot in the points table. "I think our top three were scoring a lot of runs, we go hard in the powerplay but it didn't come out today. I think it's too soon to analyze or dissect the game. You need to go hard in the powerplay knowing the ball was getting slower and older, that's the way me, Jaiswal and Jos have played throughout. Credit to the RCB bowlers for their energy and intensity. I think this was a target that could have gone to the wire, I expected a tight match if we had a decent powerplay. Coming to the match, run machine Faf du Plessis' composed innings of 55 off 44, his seventh fifty of IPL 2023, coupled with crucial attack innings under pressure from Glenn Maxwell (54 off 33) and Anuj Rawat(29* off 11) lifted RCB to a competitive 171/5. Chasing 172, Rajasthan Royals were shocked early as Yashasvi Jaiswal (0 off 2) walked back to the hut off the second ball of the innings as he hit one uppishly straight to mid off, off Mohd. Siraj. Jaiswal's opening partner Jos Buttler (0 off 2) departed in the next over as he hit one straight to point off Wayne Parnell. Captain Sanju Samson walked back two balls later as he top-edged his pull off Parnell and Anuj Rawat took a good running catch. RR then introduced Devdutt Padikkal, who walked in at No.5, as their Impact Player, replacing Chahal. Joe Root then survived a scare as he was given out LBW off Siraj but he reviewed it successfully as the Ball Tracking showed it was going over the stumps. RR lost another one in the Powerplay as Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal hit one powerfully to short mid-wicket where Siraj took a good low catch. RR lost half their side inside the six overs as Parnell trapped Root LBW. The batter reviewed it but Ball Tracking showed it was hitting leg - All three reds. The collapse didn't stop there as Michael Bracewell joined the wicket-taking party as he had Dhruv Jurel caught at deep square leg in the next over. Shimron Hetmyer then went on the counterattack smashing three sixes in a row off Karn Sharma but after the joy there was despair in the same over as Ashwin was run out by a Dhoni-esque flick onto the stumps by keeper Anuj Rawat. Hetmyer's short little cameo of 35(19) ended in the next over as he mistimed his heave straight into the hands of the long-on fielder. Karn Sharma then sent back Adam Zampa and KM Asif in the 11th over as RR were bowled out for the third-lowest total in the IPL - 59. (ANI)
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