IPL 6: RR v/s SRH – Heroes of the Match

The Rajasthan Royals let go of a stranglehold on the Sunrisers’ batting to let them score much more than one would have expected, but recovered well to chase down their target with reasonable ease. With this win, the Royals have now captured the third spot which the Sunrisers earlier occupied, and are looking good to progress in the tournament. The Sunrisers suffered their second loss in a row and are in serious danger of tailing away, even with the return of Sangakkara into the lineup. Here are those who lit up the game at the Sawai Mansingh today:

Darren Sammy – Saviour at large

Key stats: Batting figures – 60 off 41 (8 fours, 1 six); Bowling figures – 3.0 – 0 – 17 – 0

Walking out to bat in only his second IPL game ever, Sammy mustn’t have believed his eyes as his team were tottering at 19/5. It didn’t seem to affect the T20 World Cup winning captain too much though as he played his natural game, keeping Amit Mishra grounded at the same time, and carrying his team to a respectable total. He seemed to struggle throughout the game with the weather conditions, even suffering from cramps, and having to be withdrawn from the field near the end of the second innings. His celebration when he reached his half-century, dedicated to his newborn daughter, was something delightful to watch.

James Faulkner – Royals sure know how to pick them!

Key stats: Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 20 – 5

A fiver in 4 overs earned James Faulkner the Purple cap, and a well deserved one too for being the most economical bowler in the tournament. What was really impressive was that these were not the wickets of lower order batsmen trying to accelerate the scoring, but instead included those of Dhawan, Sangakkara, and Sammy, all of whom are well established batsmen. His subtle changes of pace with the ball in his hand, and clinically accurate line and length earn him the best bowling figures of this year’s tournament, and a spot on this list.

Dale Steyn – Coming to the party

Key stats: Batting figures – 18 off 8 (2 fours, 1 six); Bowling figures - 4.0 – 1 – 15 – 1

The world’s premier fast bowler delivered for the Sunrisers today with the bat, ball and on the field, and was really unfortunate to end up on the losing side. After an excellent cameo with the bat, which included a fantastic six over long on, Steyn kept things tight at the start of the second innings, maintaining pressure on the Royals’ batsmen. Unfortunately, the other bowlers were not quite up to the task, and Steyn’s spell went waste. What was heartening to see, however, was Steyn flying around in the field, trying to stop boundaries even when the game was all but over.

Shane Watson - In prime form

Key stats: Bowling figures – 2.0 – 0 – 16 – 0; Batting figures – 98 off 53 (13 fours, 4 sixes); Catches - 2

Coming off a century against the CSK in his previous game, Watson continued from where he left off, appearing very comfortable at the crease, and almost making another century. Having taken a couple of sharp catches in the first innings of the game, Watson was demoted to number three in the batting lineup, perhaps with the conservation of wickets in mind. That seemed quite unnecessary though, as Watson walked out fairly early in the game, and played a very responsible innings to carry his team through. Would have won the MoM award on 9 occasions out of 10, and is very unlucky to have not done so today.