After winning the toss and putting the Gujarat Titans in to bat, Rajasthan Royals Skipper Sanju Samson would have expected to have won half the battle given that dew would come in to play later in the game.
But putting 177 for 4 on the board, GT were up for the fight regardless of conditions -- their bowlers personifying this from ball number one.
Opening bowlers Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya got the ball to swing and beat the bat of RR Openers Yashaswi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler several times before both were out with the scorecard reading 4 for 2 in 3 overs.
With Devdutt Padikkal getting out for 26 in the 9th over, the onus was on Samson to deliver and deliver he did!
He took charge in his own manner of stylish cover drives and pulls. Once he got the company of Shimron Hetmyer, he went big.
He smoked Rashid Khan for three sixes while sharing a 59-run stand with Hetmyer.
Other than the 12th over where Mohit Sharma gave just four runs, no other overs were gone wasted.
Samson's innings was highlighted with fine strokeplay as well as quick running that brought him another IPL half-century and put RR in victory's path.
His brave batting saw his team finally break the duck against Gujarat Titans and go top of the IPL points table.
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