IPL 2022: Match 20, RR vs LSG – Who Said What

The Rajasthan Royals held their nerves to register a three-run win over the Lucknow Super Giants in Match 20 of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10. Defending a not-so-challenging total on a good batting surface, the RR bowlers applied brakes on LSG’s momentum derailing their run chase.

After being asked to bat first by LSG skipper KL Rahul, openers Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal added 42 runs, but once they were dismissed, the Royals started losing wickets at regular intervals. At one stage, it appeared as if they would be restricted to a paltry total, before West Indies sensation Shimron Hetmyer’s whirlwind knock of an unbeaten 59 runs from 36 deliveries powered Rajasthan to a fighting total of 165/6.

LSG fall short despite Marcus Stoinis scare

In reply, Lucknow got off to a disastrous start, losing captain Rahul for a golden duck and pinch-hitter Krishnappa Gowtham followed soon. Wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock then went after the bowlers and single-handedly anchored the chase as he ran out of partners at the other end. He was dismissed in the 16th over by Yuzvendra Chahal for a well-made 39 runs from 32 deliveries and it seemed as if LSG would lose their way.

Star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis then displayed his power-hitting abilities and reduced the target, but with absolutely no support from the other end, he failed to get the job done as he remained unbeaten on 38 runs off 17 balls.

Losing skipper, KL Rahul said:

“I didn’t see it (the ball that got him from Boult), if I did I could have done something about it. Have to give it to him. Was a good ball. We have a good team, and have enough options with bat and ball. Even when we were 20-odd for three, we knew we had a chance. Obviously, today we needed one good partnership which we never got going. At the end, it was excellent from Stoinis to get it close and to do it in his first game of the season will give him confidence. It was always a plan (to hold Stoinis back), we know how dangerous he can be in the last five overs. As I said, we have a lot of all-rounders, so many options and so we could shuffle the batting order a bit. We like to be a bit unpredictable. These kind of totals can be a bit tricky at times, plan was to throw the bowlers off their lengths a bit but didn’t happen. But we’re a side that would continue to try being unpredictable in the coming games too. We couldn’t execute our plans at the end, the yorkers and other plans. If you miss your plans, batters these days will put you in trouble. We’ll try to work harder and handle the pressure better. One bad game won’t change things, will be a good learning for us.”

Winning skipper, Sanju Samson said:

“Feels good (to be top of the table). Depends on how he has bowled his first three overs. Got the feel that he has done well and he is confident (talking about Kuldeep Sen) to go and execute his wide yorker which he has been working in the off season. Saw him in Syed Mushtaq and he was nailing his wide yorkers. (Boult) Came to me before first ball, told me ‘Sanju change of plan, I’m going to go around the wicket, and going straight in his legs and hit that bowled’. Funny to be around and his skills are commendable. Conversations (with Hetmyer) are ‘have you eaten, have you slept well and are you happy’, that’s it. Experience he has, really great cricketing sense he has. Has been doing great job for us. It’s about being Rajasthan Royals (Ashwin’s retired-out). We keep trying different things. Have been talking about it before the season. We thought that if some situation occurs, we can use it. Was a team decision. Chahal is someone who can be given the ball anytime from overs 1-20. He’s the greatest legspinner if I can say, that India’s seen in the present. Thought why not use him more at the end when the pressure is more.”

Player of the Match, Yuzvendra Chahal said:

“Backed myself. My main strength is my mind. Didn’t want to divert from what I usually do. I was always ready to bowl at anytime from overs 1-20. Enjoyed De Kock’s wicket the most. He could’ve changed the game. Had seen him step out, had an intuition he’d come again (Badoni). Bowled it wider. Don’t think a lot about my bad games.”