IPL 2021: Sanju Samson storm can’t blow Punjab Kings away

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson fell agonisingly short of taking his team across the finish line as they ended up losing by four runs to Punjab Kings in a thrilling and highscoring IPL14 encounter at the Wankhede Stadium on MondaySamsonrsquos 63ball 119 12x4 7x6 was not enough as RR finished on 2177 off their 20 overs chasing Punjab Kingsrsquo 2216 Samson was out caught in the deep off the last ball of the match as he attempted a six with five runs needed for victoryEarlier some bighitting from Punjab skipper KL Rahul 50ball 91 7x4 5x6 and Deepak Hooda 28ball 64 4x4 6x6 saw the Kings go past the 200run mark comfortably Earlier Rahul and Hooda pummelled the Rajasthan Royals bowlers into submission with their sensational stroke playHooda goes hardWhile Rahul smashed seven fours and five sixes in his 50ball 91 Hooda playing his first game since the last IPL plundered six maximums and four boundaries as he blazed his way to 64 off just 28 balls Put into bat Punjab lost opener Mayank Agarwal 14 early who edged it back to Royals captain and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson for IPL debutant Chetan Sakariyarsquos first wicketPunjab Kings skipper KL Rahul en route his 50ball 91 against RRHe ended being the pick of the bowlers conceding only five runs in the 20th over Rahul who got his first four with a glance to the fineleg fence and Chris Gayle 40 off 28 gave the team a good start with their 67run standRahul got a lifersquo after Ben Stokes dropped him at the fence in the seventh over even as Gayle looked in his elements The duo then took on Stokes as Gayle hit his 350th IPL six a pull over deep square in the 8th over with Punjab racing to 70 for oneGayle was dropped by leggie Rahul Tewatia 025 off his own bowling and the very next ball the lefthander smashed a sixPerfect ParagHowever in the 10th over Riyan Parag 17 removed Gayle who was holed out to Stokes in the deep Rahul then changed gears and got to his fifty with a six over Shivam Dubersquos 020 head in the 13th over Hooda then smashed two maximums in the same over and then struck three sixes off Shreyas Gopal 040 in the next as Punjab went ballisticIt was Rahul and Hoodarsquos show at the Wankhede that made the difference to their total as the duo tore into the opposition attack on way to their 105run standCourtesy their monstrous hitting Punjab added 111 runs in the final eight oversHooda who had made a 62 against CSK in his last competitive game in November had stormed out of the Baroda camp ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after claiming that Krunal Pandya misbehaved with him Hooda was subsequently suspendedBrief scoresPBKS 2216 KL Rahul 91 D Hooda 64 C Gayle 40 C Sakariya 331 C Morris 241 beat RR 2177 S Samson 119 R Parag 25 M Shami 233 A Singh 335 by four runsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever