Three consecutive sixes against Rashid changed the course of the match: Kumar Sangakkara

Ahmedabad: Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara believes skipper Sanju Samson’s three consecutive sixes against veteran leg-spinner Rashid Khan against Gujarat Titans turned the tide of their Indian Premier League match here. Chasing 178 for the win, Samson (60 off 32 balls) reduced the required run-rate by hitting Rashid for three consecutive sixes in the 13th over. Rajasthan won the match on Sunday with four balls to spare. Shimron Hetmyer scored an unbeaten 56 off 26 balls for the team.

In a video released on the social media of Rajasthan Royals, Sangakkara told Samson, ‘With you getting us out of difficult situations during the power play, the over which Rashid Khan did was going to change the course of the match. Rashid is their best bowler, some say he is the best spinner in the world in T20. He was taken aback by it.” Samson and Hetmyer brought the team back into the match with an important partnership of 59 runs off 27 balls. After this, Hetmyer added 47 runs in 20 balls with Dhruv Jurel (18 runs in 10 balls) to bring Rajasthan Royals closer to the target.

Former Sri Lankan captain and great batsman Sangakkara said, ‘It shows that when you are on the field, anything is possible. It doesn’t matter if you are facing Rashid Khan, Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan. We play the ball, not the player with the ball. Would like to say again that you executed your innings brilliantly.