Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson said the decision to ‘retire out’ Ravichandran Ashwin in the slog overs was taken by the team management keeping in mind the situation of the match.
Ashwin became the first team in IPL history to use the ‘retire out’ strategy despite scoring an unbeaten 28 during their match against Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai on Sunday.
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Ashwin (28 off 23 balls) played a key role in rebuilding the RR innings along with Shimron Hetmyer (59 not out off 36 balls) as the two shared a 68-run stand for the fifth wicket before the off-spinner retired. took. Two overs to go for the innings.
“It is about Rajasthan Royals (Ashwin retiring). We keep trying different things. Talking about it before the season,” Samson said during a post-match presentation as RR beat LSG by three runs in an IPL thriller.
“We thought that if some situation happens, we can use it. It was the team’s decision.”
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Ashwin retired in 18.2 overs, leaving Riyan Parag at the crease.
He said, ‘I had no idea about this (Ashwin is retiring). He was a little tired too. It was a good decision as the kid (Parag) hit a six for us,” Hetmyer told Star Sports’ official broadcaster after the match.
Young Kuldeep Sen impressed with his IPL debut as he took one for 31 and defended 15 runs in the final over to help RR win.
Samson said that he had confidence in Sen’s ability as he had seen him practice wide yorkers.
“It depends on how he bowled his first three overs. Felt that he has done well and he (talking about Kuldeep Sen) is confident that he will execute his wide yorker which he has been working in the off-season.
“Saw him in Syed Mushtaq and he was bowling his wide yorker,” he said.
Defending 166, Trent Boult (2/30) struck twice in the sensational opening over while Yuzvendra Chahal (4/41) picked up four wickets to claim 150 IPL victims.
Praising both, Samson said: “Boult came up to me before the first ball, told me ‘Sanju’s change of plan, I’m going around the wicket, and going straight to his feet and bowling that. hit’.
“It’s fun to be around and his skill is admirable.”
On Chahal, he said: “Chahal is the one who can be given the ball anytime in an over of 1-20 overs. He is the greatest leg spinner, if I can say that India is currently seen. Thought why not use it more in the end when the pressure is high.”
Chahal, who was adjudged the player of the match for four wickets for 41 runs, has been in tremendous form since being dropped from India’s T20 World Cup 2021 squad.
“I have always bowled well, I had a bad patch in the middle, but my main strength is my mind and I didn’t want to be distracted by that.”
Losing captain KL Rahul, who was hit by a late inswing yorker from Boult, said he had not yet seen the ball.
“I didn’t see it (the ball he got from Boult), if I had I could have done something about it. He has to give it. It was a good ball.”
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