"To capture Jos Buttler and Ashwin in one frame" - Twiteratti troll RR as Ashwin promotion to No.3 fails
Rajasthan Royals (RR) are known to be trendsetters in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Fans witnessed the first 'retired out' in the IPL in their last game. They have now sent out Ravichandran Ashwin at No. 3 ahead of Sanju Samson in their game against Gujarat Titans (GT).
Chasing a mammoth total of 193 runs, the Rajasthan franchise lost Devdutt Padikkal for a golden duck in the second over. While everyone expected Samson to walk out, Ashwin came out to bat, leaving everyone surprised.
However, the move didn't pay off. The veteran off-spinner could only score eight runs at a strike rate of 100 before David Miller pulled off a stunning catch to end his stay in the middle.
Meanwhile, fans were certainly not happy with the decision to promote Ravichandran Ashwin up the batting order. They slammed the RR management for wasting Riyan Parag's talent by making him bat at No. 6 or No. 7.
Here are some of the best reactions:
Donโt understand sending Ashwin specially when you have Riyan Parag and Neesham. Your best batters need to face more balls in T20.
Ashwin comes in at No. 3 https://t.co/Azw9q20GFo
@rajasthanroyals @josbuttler Ashwin ko kaun bheja first down https://t.co/5igol1NNB6
@Raina1MsDian They lack batting depth so they sends ashwin at 3 so batter got saved and take game deep , but now failed ๐
Understand the move to send Ashwin here, but I would have preferred if RR had sent Riyan Parag here. He has too much batting potential left to be under utilised at no. 7/8.
More than capable of taking advantage of the PP as well.
You sent ashwin and wasted PP over
Samson ended up building his innings outside PP which is more tough due to high target
Got under pressure and boom runout
Thoda common sense use kar liya karo kabhi toh bhai @rajasthanroyals
#RRvGT
Who in the RR think-tank had this brainwave to send out R Ashwin to bat with the score at 28-1, in a T20 match, with the team chasing 192?
There are stupid decisions & then there is this! #GTvsRR #IPL2022
@WisdenCricket Suicide by Royals.
Exposing Ashwin in the powerplay and now losing the captain to a run-out.
If they lose this game it will be all of their own making.
RR management ne konsa maal phoka Ashwin ko no 3 pe bhejne se pehle
Why on earth will you send ashwin at one down? What is wrong with this franchise? Last match me retired hurt kiya toh laad me agay kya? ๐คก
#RRvsGT
As the wickets tumbled, Jos Buttler continued his rich vein of form and milked runs with ease. However, Lockie Ferguson dismissed him with a brilliant yorker after a well-made 54 off just 24 balls.
The runs dried up once Buttler returned to the dugout. RR were at 89/4 at the halfway stage, with the in-form Shimron Hetmyer still keeping the table-toppers in the hunt in the run chase.
Hardik Pandya powers Gujarat Titans to 192 vs RR
This IPL so far has shown that very few Indian cricketers can offer what a fit Hardik Pandya can.
Valuable overs with the ball, incredible hitting against spin and good game against pace overall (smacks junk pace bowling).
The Gujarat Titans captain is slowly getting into the groove in the competition, which is a huge plus for his IPL franchise and for Team India if you consider the bigger picture. Asked to bat first, the Titans were struggling at 53/3 in 6.4 overs with the top three batters back in the hut.
Hardik Pandya steadied the ship with two telling partnerships. He added 86 runs for the fourth wicket alongside Abhinav Manohar before a quickfire 53 off 25 balls with David Miller to post a challenging total on the board.
Hardik paced his innings to perfection while batting at No. 4. He played the role of the anchor until the middle overs but cashed in on every opportunity that came his way. The flamboyant all-rounder was eventually unbeaten on 87 off 52 balls, in a knock decorated with eight boundaries and four sixes.