IPL 2023: RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara praises Captain Sam in dressing room speech - WATCH

Rajasthan Royals, chasing 178 against Gujarat Giants, were in a spot of bother with four down for 55 in 11th over of their chase. It was then their skipper Sanju Samson who took the charge and got the team into a position from where Shimron Hetmyer won it for the Royals.

Praising Captain Sam, Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara said that whenever he's in the game, anything is possible. Sanga made a small speech in the dressing room after Royals won by three wickets to go on top of the table.

"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", said Sangakkara. Have a look at the video here:

Sanju's innings gave Royals much needed impetus after they lost their star openers Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal inside three overs. The highlight of Captain Sam's knock, however, was three back-to-back sixes he hit off GT's gun bowler Rashid Khan.

Rashid came on to bowl the thirteenth over of the Royals' chase with Rajasthan four down for 66. Hetmyer took a single of the first ball and then Captain Sam unleashed his beast mode on Rashid Khan, smacking him for three sixes in a row.

Earlier, GT also lost their first wicket early as Trent Boult caught Wriddhiman Saha in a chaotic display of fielding by Royals players. Shubman Gill and David Miller scored 45 off 34 and 46 off 30, respectively for GT while others batted around for scores in mid-twenties to set up 177/6 in 20 overs.

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