Samson's day at Sharjah - hits Chennai's hopes for a six

 By K.R. Nayar

A Rajasthan team without their star players was not expected to get off to a winning start but a shower of sixes upset Chennai's plans. Read my comment in full here that appeared in Gulf News 

Rajasthan Royals were hardly the favourites to emerge winners over a spirited Chennai Super Kings at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the third match of the Indian Premier League. But in cricket, especially in a T20, format anyone can be a winner. To add to it, over the years, this venue, which has hosted the most number of limited over cricket matches in the world, also has a reputation for producing the most unexpected results. So Rajasthan’s stunning 16-runs victory is just an extension of history.

Every time an unexpected team has won here, there has been a hero, and Tuesday’s hero was Sanju Sasmon. It was just his day. Playing his first match after Mahendra Singh Dhoni had announced his retirement from international cricket, this wicket-keeper batsman has played a breath-taking knock. His power-packed innings was played right in front of Dhoni, into whose slot he is hoping to step into in the Indian team.  A knock of 74 from just 32 balls with nine power-packed sixes, two stumpings and two catches are nothing but a dream performance.

The six-hitting trend that Samson ignited was carried on by Jofra Archer, who also hit four sixes in his unbeaten 27 off eight balls. Rajasthan’s captain Steve Smith’s innings was one with responsibility, staying on till the 19th over and scoring 69 runs. He too hit four sixes.

This was a match any cricket fan would have loved to watch from the stadium. Television can never capture the real beauty of a shower of sixes.  Thirty-three sixes were hit in this match, which equals the record set during the Bangalore versus Chennai IPL match at Bangalore in 2018.  Unfortunately, this feat was achieved in front of a stadium sans spectators.

If in the first match between Chennai and Mumbai Indians, it was Mumbai’s Chris Jordan who got hit for 30 runs in the last over, in Tuesday’s match, Chennai’s Lungi Ngidi got thrashed for the same.  A total of 416 runs were scored between the two teams. Chennai did not throw away their wickets in haste while chasing their target. They wanted to make sure their Net Run Rate improves even if they don’t win.  Chennai could have reached the target had their opener Shane Watson, who began with four superb sixes, not got out for 33 runs. The match had everything a spectator could ask for to get his money’s worth. It also had Dhoni crack three successive sixes in the last over.  Another three more from him could have won the match for Chennai. May be he should have decided to bat earlier than at No.7.