‘I think Rana should have been there’: Pujara, Bishop blame Dravid, Samson Super Over game plan for RR’s defeat vs DC
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ian Bishop were left confused by RR's Super Over game plan vs DC, on Wednesday.
Rahul Dravid’s RR crumbled to a defeat as Mitchell Starc’s Super Over heroics saw DC seal a famous win in their IPL 2025, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. After Starc’s brilliant death over bowling levelled the game in regular time and enforced a Super Over, Dravid and RR skipper Sanju Samson decided to send Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag (left-right combination) and put Yashasvi Jaiswal as the third batter. To the surprise of fans and experts, they didn’t opt for Nitish Rana, who had smacked 51 off 28 balls in regular time.
Meanwhile, Starc maintained control in the Super Over too, conceding 11 runs, and Parag, Jaiswal were run out on the fourth, fifth balls. Meanwhile, DC chased down the target in only four balls against Sandeep Sharma, without losing any wickets.
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Rahul Dravid, Sanju Samson's game plan criticised after RR's defeat
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ian Bishop criticised Dravid and Samson’s game plan for the Super Over. Pujara felt that RR should have included Rana, and should have also started with Jaiswal. “I think Nitish should have been there in those three,” he said.
“But I don't know whether he should have started. I would want Jaiswal to start because of the way he bats against Mitchell Starc - his record (against Starc) has been phenomenal across formats (26 runs from 15 balls without a dismissal in T20s and 133 from 203 with three dismissals in Tests).”
“I know it was the Super Over and Starc was just trying to execute his yorkers, but there's a psychological advantage. If Yashasvi had faced a few balls, then Starc would have been under some pressure,” he added.
Meanwhile, West Indies legend Bishop echoed Pujara’s opinion. Speaking on the same show, he said, “I like Jaiswal at the top there, but I am biased towards Nitish Rana as well.”
“I would not mind Rana's silky skill to come in there, not necessarily raw power,” he added.
RR are now in eighth position after five defeats and two wins. Meanwhile, DC are on top of the table with five wins and a single loss.
