IPL 2024: Samson, Jurel boss run-chase as table-toppers RR march to victory against LSG

Rajasthan Royals continued their winning run as skipper Sanju Samson led RR to a 7-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants in match 44 of IPL 2024.

After losing the toss and being invited to bat first, Rahul and Hooda gave LSG a solid footing with a 62-ball 115-run stand for the third wicket after early blows.

Rahul’s 48-ball 76 with eight fours and two sixes was his fourth fifty of the season while Hooda banished his poor string of scores to make his first big score this IPL.

Ashwin applied the breaks on LSG’s progress and ended his drought of wickets in this IPL, picking up only his second wicket to have Hooda caught at wide long-on by Rovman Powell.

The skewed boundary lengths at Ekana came into play when Sandeep surprised Nicholas Pooran (11) with a short ball that climbed on the batter, and the top edge flew straight into the hands of a waiting Boult at the deep backward square leg and in the end, LSG managed to set a target of 197 runs.

Coming to the RR chase, Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal made full use of the powerplay overs and the visitors posted 60 runs with Jos Buttler losing his wicket in the 6th over.

Yashasvi Jaiswal quickly followed Buttler and Amit Mishra dismissed the in-form Riyan Parag to bring LSG back into the match but Skipper Sanju Samson played a captain knock of 71 and was well supported by Dhruv Jurel, who bit under the pump before this game for his string of low scores as the duo added 121 runs for the 4th wicket to take Rajasthan Royals over the line with one over remaining and with this victory,

Rajasthan Royals extended its lead at the top of the points table by 6 points more than the second-placed Kolkata Knight Riders.

IPL 2024: Fifties from KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda take LSG to 196 despite poor start against RR