IPL 2021: Why Sanju Samson refused Chris Morris a single off second-last ball, Kumar Sangakkara explains

With 5 need to win off 2 balls in a chase of 222, Sanju Samson who was batting on 119, refused a single to Chris Morris which stunned everyone watching the game. RR Director of Cricket and former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has reacted to the controversy.

Rajasthan Royals' Chris Morris and Sanju Samson are consoled by Punjab Kings team members after their loss in Mumbai. (Photo: IPL)

South African all-rounder Chris Morris became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year when he was bought by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a whopping Rs 16.5 crore in the auction this year. But new RR skipper Sanju Samson didn’t seem to have much faith in Morris’s ability to finish the game against Punjab Kings on Monday (April 12) night.

With 5 need to win off 2 balls in a chase of 222, Samson who was batting on 119, refused a single to Morris which stunned everyone watching the game. RR Director of Cricket and former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has reacted to the controversy.

Claiming that it was encouraging to see Samson believing in his abilities, Sangakkara reckons the new RR skipper backed himself to do the job and nearly pulled it off.

“I think Sanju backed himself to get the job done and he nearly did. He was five or six yards short of hitting the last ball for a six and sometimes when you know you’re hitting the ball well and you’re in form and you believe that you can do it, you’ve got to take that responsibility. And it was really encouraging to see Sanju do that,” Sangakkara said at the post-match press conference.

Man-of-the-match Samson hit a breathtaking 63-ball 119. He came in when the Royals were in trouble in a mammoth 222-run chase. The Royals had lost two wickets when Samson walked in. He took his time initially as the side was in trouble and then he shifted gears and took on the bowling to get RR perilously close to winning it.

In the end, it was one hit that separated the two sides in the last-over thriller. But was it the right call to deny Morris the single. Morris is a big-hitter himself and could have got the six. A lot can be debated but the bottom line is Punjab beat Rajasthan by four runs to get their campaign off to a winning start.