"I can't point out a moment where we lost the game actually" - Sanju Samson on RR's slip-up against RCB in IPL 2022 

Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson could not identify the moment when his side lost Tuesday's game. The inaugural IPL champions suffered their first loss in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

After setting a target of 170, RR had RCB on the ropes at 87-5. However, a blistering partnership between Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmad turned the complexion of the game. The three-time finalists finished the proceedings with five balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.

Praising Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer for their heroics in the death overs, Samson said during the post-match presentation:

"I think I can't point out a moment where we lost the game actually. I think, first of all, it is a great effort to put in that kind of a total, losing the toss, very slow wicket, bowlers were really up throughout the innings but a really great finish by Jos and Hetmyer."

The overseas duo added 43 runs in the last two overs, pushing their total to a much more commanding 169. The pair initially struggled for timing but found their rhythm and targetted Mohammad Siraj and Akash Deep in the last couple of overs.

Admitting that 170 was a good total to have on the board following the patchy start, Samson added:

"I think that was a very respectable score and when the dew sets in at the Wankhede stadium, we took the match till the last over, so a great effort by the team."

This marked RCB's fifth consecutive win over RR in the IPL. The three-time finalists completed a double over RR across the last two editions.

To see list of IPL winner, click here.

"I think he is someone with great experience" - Sanju Samson on Dinesh Karthik

Coming into the chase with 83 runs needed off seven and a half overs, Dinesh Karthik took on the bowlers right away. The veteran was proficient against the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Navdeep Saini. He remained unbeaten in the end with 44 runs off 23 deliveries.

Praising Karthik's efforts with the bat, Samson said:

"I think he is someone with great experience. But I think, we would like to, as a bowling unit take our time and set the field. A lot of positives to take out of this loss and we can learn new things as well."

When asked whether he considered asking the umpires to replace the ball in the latter stages of the innings due to the dew, Samson said:

"Not actually, I was confident with my bowlers instead of changing the ball and I think we did a really great job."

According to the IPL 2022 schedule, RR will next take on the in-form Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the same venue on April 10 (Sunday).