Despite being the first edition of the Indian Premier League to be held in India without the power of cricket - the audience on the ground, without which the game is incomplete, the 14th edition is setting the screen on fire with many thrillers and nail-biting moments, and of course many firsts. One among such is Rajasthan Royals' battle with the new captain. It is the first time that Sanju Samson is leading the side, which hopes to win the trophy for the second time. Samson's fleet has on Monday clashed with the mighty Punjab Kings. 

The game, which has become the fourth match of the league, was hosted by Wankhede Stadium and Rajasthan Royals won the toss and their skipper Sanju Samson decided to bowl as most captains do in this series. When both teams got ready for the battle, no one knew that the game would unfold a slew of shock, surprises, and stellar moments. Punjab Kings came to the crease to bat, but the team had a flawed opening after Mayank Agarwal was bowled out for 14 runs within the powerplay.

KL Rahul joined the Jamaica giant Chris Gayle to put up a formidable partnership. Gayle got out for a quick 40 off 28 balls including four fours and two sixes, and Rahul was then accompanied by Deepak Hooda, which turned out to be a sensational partnership. Rahul scored his 50 and proved once again that he is a dangerous batsman, be it the Indian team or the Punjab Kings. Deepak Hooda played the innings of his life. He smashed the ball out of the park just like that and scored his 50 in just 20 balls. With this 50, Hooda became the first uncapped player to hit a half-century in less than 23 balls in the IPL history. Rahul went back to the pavilion on 91 and Hooda for 64. The Punjab Kings made a mammoth 221 runs in their 20 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. 

The Kings were happy by putting a big score for the chase but the Royals were confident of chasing the target with its batting line-up. However, their confidence fell off in the first over after all-rounder Ben Stokes got dismissed for a duck. But there was someone who was daring to reach out to the target. He was consistent. He fought hard till the last ball. Sanju Samson - You beauty! He was on the mark right from the first delivery and he had no doubts about winning this game. The skipper had his day in the opening match of the season and he was determined to build a winning momentum. 

However, he received little support from Buttler, Dube, and Parag but he was literally all alone in the battle. He was calm and composed, hit every bad ball to the boundary, and kept providing oxygen to the run chase. In this, he scored his wonderful century and became the first to score a 100 in his first match as captain in the IPL. None of the bowlers could stop him until the last ball of the thrilling final over. 5 runs were required from one ball. Sanju's shot fell a few meters short of the boundary line and he was caught. 

Kings finally took a breath of relief after defeating Royals by 4 runs, only 4 runs. Sanju Samson was the man to watch and he delivered brilliant and awe-inspiring cricket. He got dismissed for 119 runs off 63 balls including 12 fours and seven sixes. Royals ended their campaign for 217 runs in 20 overs, fell short of four runs from the target. The fact that Sanju Samson ended up on the losing side after such a daring effort was bad news, not just for the fans of the Rajasthan Royals.

Wankhede has once again proved that it is a complete batting pitch as it spared no bowler and most of the batsmen from both teams had a strike rate of over 150, which is remarkable. Though losing the match, Samson was named as the player of the match for his splendid century. Speaking at the post-match presentation, KL Rahul said, "Heart rate was high but I didn't stop believing. We knew a couple of wickets would bring us back. Till the first 10-11 overs, we bowled well and it was close because we dropped a few sitters, including me".

"As a bowling unit, we bowled as we planned. When you're bowling against Sanju, it's difficult. We weren't thinking of the last year's game", Rahul added and he also had praised Deepak Hooda. Rahul said, "Deepak Hooda's innings was amazing. That's the kind of batting we want to see as a team. We want to bat fearlessly and takedown bowlers. We have a lot of power in our line-up but we've been tentatively slightly. Important for us to bat fearlessly, great to see boys trying to understand what we expect and that they are feeling comfortable to do that role". 

After conceding the defeat and bracing up to his vained-century, Sanju Samson said, "I don't have words to tell, very close game, came close but unfortunately, I don't think I could have done anything more. I timed it well but unfortunately couldn't clear the man in the deep. It's all part of the game. We thought the wicket was getting better and we could chase the target down. Despite the loss, I think the team played really well." With an outstanding score to chase and with a remarkable and tenacious play to reach the target, the clash between the Kings and Royals had unveiled what has become the battle at its best.

This one went down to the wire! Sanju goes for the big shot over cover, but doesn't get all of it. Taken. @PunjabKingsIPL win by 4 runs.#VIVOIPL #RRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/HklxqlAGY2

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2021