IPL 2022: T20 format has to be played with lot of fearless mindset - RR skipper Samson
Tuesday, Rajasthan Royals plays its IPL 2022 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson feels T20 is a format where one must play fearlessly.
FollowAs the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) has gotten underway, former champion Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be playing its season opener against fellow former champion SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). On Tuesday, the match will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Ahead of the game, RR skipper Sanju Samson has asked his side to play fearless cricket, as he feels that's what Twenty20 (T20) is all about.
RR won its only IPL title to date back in 2008, during the tournament's inaugural edition, under the captaincy and guidance of late Australian spin great Shane Warne. Since then, RR has been chiefly ousted in the group stages. It did make the playoffs on three instances thereon but could not enter the final.
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During the pre-season press conference on Monday, Samson stated, "We have a lot of Indian and international strength in our team. It's a very long tournament. We need to understand all players' mindsets and fitness, and form. But, we have enough options to play around." While RR has a new squad this time, he also feels that gelling together and clicking as a unit fast will help the team achieve its goals.
"Our main focus is to get together as soon as possible. We have a different squad this time, some new members in the team, so it is important to come together and understand your teammates. We had a lot of learning from the last two-three seasons. We discussed and worked on a few options, and we got a perfect team in the auction," added Samson.
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Samson was also delighted with the support staff of RR, with the likes of Sri Lankan legends Kumar Sangakkara (Director of Cricket) and Lasith Malinga (fast-bowling coach) joining the ranks. He was happy that these legends were guiding the side and passing on their learnings to the youngsters, making the squad more formidable. "Whatever chats we had with Lasith, he makes bowling look very simple and easy and that it gives a lot of clarity for every bowler in the side. He is making many things easier for me as a captain," he concluded.
