NEW DELHI: Continuing with their dream run in the Indian Premier League this season, Rajasthan Royals hammered Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets for the eighth win in 9 matches.
The one-sided win on Saturday has now all but confirmed Royals a spot in the play-offs.
With a tricky 197 target to hunt, the table-toppers made light work of the chase, finishing it off with 6 balls to spare.
And the architects of the easy win were skipper Sanju Samson (71*) and Dhruv Jurel, who joined hands to share an unbeaten 121-run stand.
After initially struggling a bit, Jurel (52*) got going and went on to register his maiden IPL half-century. Jurel after the match said that skipper Samson guided him all along the chase.
"I wanted to finish off the game whenever I got a chance. It is a curse and a blessing to be batting in this position. I was just trying to stay till the end and back my shots. In the middle overs, when the fielders are back, you have to pick your shots (and use the angles). At the start, my shots were hitting the fielders. Then I talked to Sanju bhai, and he told me to not pre-meditate and play the ball according to its merit. Then it (the shots) started flowing," said Jurel during post-match chat.
After raising his fifty, Jurel went with the salute, later disclosing that it was for his father (an army man) who was watching him from the stands.
"I do it for my father, did that in the Test matches also for him. He was in the ground today and that (celebration) was for him," Jurel said.
