Royals rue missed chances as spin stifles batting.
Rajasthan Royals’ hopes of reaching a second IPL final in three years were dashed as they went down to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 36 runs in Qualifier 2. Battling dew-less conditions and SRH’s spinners, the Royals’ batting line-up that had fired consistently in the tournament sputtered to 139/7 in 20 overs in response to SRH’s 175.
Captain Sanju Samson looked crestfallen as he assessed where his team lost control. “We were found wanting against their spinners in the middle overs. The wicket behaved differently in the second innings, assisting their slow bowlers who used the conditions effectively,” Samson said.
During that phase, the skipper acknowledged SRH’s tactics of unleashing spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma proved decisive. The duo combined for figures of 5/47 to derail the chase. Samson said batting became tougher than expected with dew failing to arrive.
While disappointed, Samson still admired breakthrough seasons for youngsters Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel. He also praised Sandeep Sharma, who scalped 3/27 after joining as a replacement, saying his stats are beyond Bumrah over the past two IPL seasons.
The Royals had the firepower but were outfoxed by SRH variation. Samson and Jos Buttler’s rare failures, alongside Jaiswal’s struggles, set them on the backfoot. While their campaign ended in heartbreak this time, the Royals have unearthed prospects who can power future runs.
