Jaipur, India

Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson was saddened after the anti-climax end to the Indian Premier League (IPL) contest against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday. Samson, whose side was winning until the penultimate ball had to face a catastrophic defeat when Abdul Samad hit a six on a free hit, a consequence of a no-ball on the previous delivery. The defeat left RR in a vulnerable position, as they will now sit out of the top four by the time they take the field in their next encounter on Sunday, May 14.

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"I was very confident with Sandeep. He has won us a game with almost a similar situation. He did it again today but that no-ball actually ruined our result," Samson said after the match while he spoke to the broadcasters.

"To be very honest, we all know that that's what IPL gives you. Matches like these, that's what makes IPL so special. You can never never never feel like you've won the game," added Samson.

RR were defending a target of 215 and thought they had won the contest when Sandeep Sharma bowled a dot ball on the final delivery of the innings when SRH needed five runs to win. However, in an extraordinary turn of events, the dot ball was deemed as a no-ball which left RR in a state of vulnerability. With four needed off the final ball, Sandeep got his proposed yorker wrong and was hit for six to hand a famous win to SRH at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

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"It's a no-ball, you have to bowl it again, as simple as that. You don't think about it too much," Samson said when quizzed about how he reacted to having to regroup his troops.

"And I think Sandeep knows what to do. But definitely in the mindset there might be a small change for few seconds when you think the job is done. Almost everyone was celebrating.

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"But that's the nature of the game. You can't step the line at that time in the game."

The defeat has increased pressure on RR as they will sit out of the top four with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in action on Monday against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). A win for PBKS will see RR drop out while a win for either Mumbai Indians (MI) or Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Tuesday could see them drop as low as sixth in the standings.

RR will take on RCB on Sunday as the business end of the IPL takes center stage as points will matter more than the performances.

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