Kumar Sangakkara praised Sanju Samson for his dramatic handling of the end of Rajasthan Royals’ run-chase against Punjab Kings, even though it ended in defeat.
Samson played a stunning innings in his first appearance as captain for the Rajasthan franchise, making 119 in 63 balls.
The Royals’ wicketkeeper took his side to the point of victory while chasing 222 to win at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
With five needed off the last two balls, though, he turned down a single that would have put Chris Morris, Rajasthan’s big-money signing, on strike for the last ball.
Instead of leaving Morris, who was new to the crease and had struggled to just two from four balls to that point, to try to hit a four, Samson took the responsibility of trying to hit Arshdeep Singh for six.
He fell just short, as he holed out to Deepak Hooda on the long off boundary, meaning Punjab were winners by four runs.
“I think Sanju backed himself to get the job done, and he nearly did,” said Sangakkara, Rajasthan’s director of cricket.
“He was five or six yards short of hitting that last ball for six, and sometimes when you know you are hitting the ball well and you are in form, and you believe you can do it, you have to take that responsibility.
“It was really encouraging to see Sanju do that. We can always talk about a missed single here or there, but the crucial thing for me is players’ belief, attitude and commitment to what they know their strengths are.
“Sanju took it upon himself to finish that game, and he just fell a few yards short. That happens, but next time I believe he will hit it that 10 yards further to win us the game.”
Punjab’s effort with the bat, with KL Rahul making 91 and Hooda a rapid 64, made for a worrying start to the new season for the Rajasthan bowlers.
The Royals have overhauled their attack after the limp displays of last season, and spent an IPL record amount on bringing in Morris.
However, he struggled on debut as he took 2-41 from his four overs, while another overseas paceman, the Bangladesh left-armer Mustafizur Rahman, went for 45 from his allocation.
There was optimism at least in the form of Chetan Sakaria. The uncapped and unheralded 23-year-old seamer took 3-31, and held a fine diving catch to dismiss Nicholas Pooran first ball.
“I think he was just brilliant,” Sangakkara said of the young left-armer.
“His skill was on display, but it was really good to watch a bowler in such a high scoring match always smiling, and always in the game.
“He took an amazing catch at short fine leg. He bowled with the new ball, and then he bowled at the death when everyone was taking punishment.
“It speaks a lot about his skill, his attitude, and it is great to have him in the side. He is a simple guy, who has had ups and downs in life, and he is here to enjoy his cricket.
“Chetan is a young man who will have a very, very good future.”
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m
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Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
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There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
