IPL 2023: ‘No answer’ to how Rajasthan Royals’ campaign fizzled out | Cricket News – Times of India

JAIPUR: The abject collapse that saw Rajasthan Royals slip further on the points table can be termed as a brainfade moment of Sanju Samson’s side against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on Sunday. In Royals’ head coach Kumar Sangakkara’s words, it was pretty obvious that “RCB did not really get us out, but we got ourselves out”.
The finalists of the last season started the IPL 2023 with four wins in the first five games and then their campaign fizzled out from there. In the last eight games, they were knocked down in six. With only one league game to go, Royals, holding the 6th spot, have no realistic chance to make it to the playoffs.
Captain Samson looked perplexed as he fell short of words to explain where the team floundered towards the second half of the tournament.

(Photo: PTI/BCCI/IPL)
“I was thinking about where it went wrong. Sorry, I do not have an answer for that,” he told Star Sports, the official broadcasters of the tournament, after the match.
He underscored the capricious nature of the tournament and added that “things can change in a couple of days”.
“Funny, funny things happen at the end of the league stages. We have to be strong, be professional and think about the game we are playing in Dharamsala. You must keep your hopes high and try your best. We have to take responsibility as a team,” the Royals’ captain said.
Sangakkara rued the team got carried away in the first six overs that resulted in a 112-run loss in the home game against RCB.

(Photo: AP/BCCI/IPL)
“I thought we bowled very well to hold them on to 171 which on this pitch was going to be a good chase. And we got a bit carried away in the powerplay thinking we have to score too many runs and be ultra-positive. It was a case of building partnerships but unfortunately coming out of Powerplay, we were five down, so that was probably the end of the game,” he said during the post-match press conference.
Like Sangakkara, Samson too pointed towards their horror show in Powerplay.
“We usually go hard in the powerplay but that did not quite happen today. It will take some time to assess our display. That is the nature of T20 cricket, you have to go hard in the powerplay, knowing that the wicket will slow down. Credit has to go out to the RCB bowlers and their teammates. Their energy was great, and they really wanted to win this game,” he added.

(AI image)