"Shocking To See...": Sanju Samson's Admission Despite RR Beating PBKS To Stay In IPL Playoff Race

20.05.2023 - 06:33 sports.ndtv.com

Following the four-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match, Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson expressed disappointment with his team's campaign and said that it is shocking where they are on the table despite so much star power and good players that they have.

With this win, RR is in the fifth spot in the points table with seven wins and seven losses. They have a total of 14 points.

They can still climb up to the top four spots if Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) lose their last match against Gujarat Titans by a huge margin and Mumbai Indians lose their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad too.

PBKS's IPL 2023 campaign is over. They end in the eighth position with six wins and eight losses. They have a total of 12 points.

cricket Rajasthan Royals Punjab Kings Sanju Samson India Hyderabad Bangalore Sanju

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson remains one of the most popular Indian players of his generation. Though Samson hasn't been able to cement his spot in the Indian team in any of the three formats, he remains a player who has struggled to hit his full potential. Seeing the wicket-keeper batter struggle for consistentency in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, even Sunil Gavaskar got in touch with Samson, lending him important advice. As per S Sreesanth, however, Samson refused to do what Gavaskar had told him.

Devdutt Padikkal, Yashasvi Jaiswal Script Rajasthan Royals' Four-Wicket Win, Keep Slim Playoff Hopes Alive

Devdutt Padikkal and Yashasvi Jaiswal hit sublime fifties as Rajasthan Royals kept their slim play-off hopes alive with a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings in their final IPL league match here on Friday. Sent into bat, PBKS were reeling at 50 for four but Sam Curran (49 not out) and Jitesh Sharma (44 off 28 balls) revived the innings while M Shahrukh Khan (41 not out off) provided the late surge to power the side to 187 for 5. A target of 188 was never going to be easy and RR needed to complete the chase in 18.3 overs to momentarily get ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore's net runrate but they couldn't.

IPL 2023: Updated Points Table, Orange And Purple Cap Standings After RR Knock PBKS Out Of Playoffs Race

Defending champions Gujarat Titans, having qualified for the playoffs already, continue to rule the charts at the top with 9 wins in 13 matches (18 points). They are followed by Chennai Super Kings (15 points) and Lucknow Super Giants (15 points). Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by 6 wickets but couldn't make significant gains in the points table. They climbed up to the 5th spot in the table, one place behind Royal Challengers Bangalore who are yet to play their last league game of the campaign.

Why R Ashwin Is Not Playing Against PBKS? RR Skipper Sanju Samson Explains

Rajasthan Royals suffered a bitter blow for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Punjab Kings, with marquee all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin missing out. At the time of toss, RR skipper Sanju Samson explained the reason behind the absence of Ashwin, who has been a consistent performer for the franchise this season. The Royals find themselves in a tricky situation in the playoffs race. Even if the 2008 champions or PBKS manage to clinch two points at the end of the night, a playoff spot would still remain out of their reach. Their qualification will depend on the results of the other teams. But a victory will keep their hopes of making it into the IPL playoffs alive.

PBKS vs RR, Live Score, IPL 2023: RR Skipper Sanju Samson Wins Toss, Opts To Bowl vs PBKS

PBKS vs RR Live Updates, IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bowl against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2023 match at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday. RR come into this game on the back of a few unpleasant results, which have had a say on where they find themselves on the IPL 2023 points table.

IPL 2023 Playoff Race: Probability Percentage Of CSK, MI, RCB, Others Explained

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has reached its business end and the race for the playoff spots has also heated up with eight teams still in the fray for qualification. Gujarat Titans are the only side right now who has sealed their spot in the top four while Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants are placed favorably in the table. However, their position can be threatened by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians who still have a chance to reach the desired 16-point mark. Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are also mathematically in the race for the knockout stage but they will have to depend on other team's results for their fortune.