Rajasthan Royals (RR) kicked off their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with a hard-fought 20-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Jaipur. Led by Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 82 off 52 balls, RR posted an imposing 193 for 4.
LSG’s chase got off to a disastrous start as Trent Boult and Nandre Burger reduced them to 11 for 3 within the first four overs. However, KL Rahul (58) and Nicholas Pooran (64*) put up a valiant fight with an 85-run partnership.
Sandeep Sharma’s crucial spell of death bowling, which included limiting Pooran to just two boundaries in the penultimate over, proved decisive. Avesh Khan then closed out the contest with ease, leaving LSG with too much to do.
Samson’s innings was the cornerstone of RR’s total. He shared a 93-run stand with Riyan Parag (43), who also played a key role in the team’s recovery from a slow start.
LSG’s spinners, particularly Krunal Pandya, found some purchase on the dry surface. However, Samson and Parag stepped up their intensity after the strategic time-out, hitting three sixes in a 21-run over.
Boult’s early wickets set the tone for LSG’s batting collapse. He dismissed Quinton de Kock and Devdutt Padikkal in quick succession, while Burger accounted for Ayush Badoni.
Despite Rahul and Pooran’s efforts, LSG ultimately fell short of the target, handing RR a valuable victory in their opening match.
