'That was the Game Changer': Sanju's Hat-trick of Sixes to Rashid Khan Leaves Sangakkara Awestricken - WATCH

Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumara Sangakkara was all praise for captain Sanju Samson who scored a scintillating half-century against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match no. 23 in Ahmedabad. The Men in Pink sought perfect revenge for their defeat in last year’s season finale, drubbing Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets in yet another final-over thriller of the season.

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After getting reduced to 55 for 4 in the chase of 178, the Royals needed someone to bail them out of the situation Sanju was the man who rose to the occasion. With the help of six sixes and three boundaries, the RR skipper scored 60 off 32 deliveries before losing his wicket to Noor Ahmad.

The most amazing part of his knock was the hat-trick of sixes he hit to GT’s premier spinner Rashid Khan in the 13^th over. Those shots not only took RR closer to victory but also helped the Sanju stitch a 60-run stand with Shimron Hetmyer for the fifth wicket.

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After Rajasthan outsmarted GT in their own backyard, Sangakarra heaped praise on Sanju and also underlined his stroke play against Rashid Khan.

While delivering a speech in the dressing room, the RR head coach said,

“Skipper, you not just got us through the powerplay but that Rashid Khan over, and then you kicked on from there, that was the game changer. Their best bowler, some say the best T20 spinner in the world, was completely caught off-guard. It just goes to show that when you’re in the game, anything is possible. Whether it’s Rashid Khan, Shane Warne, or Muralitharan. It doesn’t matter when we are in the game. We play the ball, not the man. Brilliantly done!"

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After Sanju’s departure, Hetmyer unleashed his full fury on Gujarat Titans. His partnership with Dhruv Jurel then blossomed towards the end with the West Indian doing the bulk of the scoring. There were some anxious moments when both Jurel and Ashwin fell in quick succession, but Hetmyer completed the task with another massive six.

With the win, the Royals have broken the jinx of not having previously beaten the Hardik Pandya-led side in three outings and topped the table with eight points.

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