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Different players standing up at different times has been the positive aspect of Rajasthan Royals’ “hungry” batting unit, said pace spearhead Trent Boult as the team topped the Indian Premier League points table after beating defending champion Gujarat Titans here.
The Royals beat the Titans by three wickets as it chased down the target of 178 with four balls remaining, thanks to impressive fightbacks from captain Sanju Samson (60) and Shimron Hetmyer (56 not out) after being down 4/2 in the third over.
“We got some very talented batters in our side and I think the real positive is seeing guys stand up at different times. It’s different guys standing up at different times,” said Boult at the post-match press conference.
“Jos (Buttler) is obviously a massive player for us and I’m sure he’ll be frustrated to miss out on some runs tonight. But the hunger from the rest of the batting unit, to want to contribute is amazing.
“Captain (Samson) absorbed a lot of pressure there. He chose the moment to try and push the game forward. He was nicely backed up by others,” said the 33-year-old Boult who had an ordinary outing with figures of 1/46 from his full quota of four overs.
Asked about any turning point of the match, Boult said, “It’s hard to pinpoint a certain moment in the game but that’s the nature of T20 cricket, you are never out of the game and just having the belief that you can win from anywhere.
“The amount of meetings every team has, and our team specifically, and talks about tactics, it was nice to go out there and put some of the stuff in play,” said the New Zealander.
On the bizarre catch he took to dismiss Titans opener Wriddhiman Saha, caught and bowled for his only wicket, Boult said, “One of those crazy ones, it goes high into the night sky. Obviously in this amazing crowd, you can’t hear anyone’s call. Probably lucky, I was just at right place at the right time.” Three fielders, including captain and wicketkeeper Samson, had converged after Saha skied a delivery from Boult who simply plucked the ball after it popped out from the hands of one of the trio.
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He also lauded the Royals’ spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa for applying constant pressure on the Titans batters.
“Obviously picking 12 overs of spin, I thought they pulled it back very nicely and every over counts but Sandy (Sandeep Sharma) closed that innings out nicely. 175 (177), pretty good wicket, they bowled very well on it, showed us how to bowl with the lengths and some good swing on offer there.” Overall, it was a significant win, considering that the Royals have not beaten the Titans on three earlier matches.
“The history between the Titans and us, they have got out number in that respect. Any game we almost come from behind and absorb a bit of pressure, take the game deep like that and be on the right side, is very satisfying.
“There are some good vibes in the change room and that feels good to come out on the right side of the result,” said Boult.
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