Chennai, May 12 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson said they fell 20-24 runs short of the score they had expected to score against Chennai Super Kings in Match 61 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 and said their opponents had a better idea of how to deal things at home. Samson said the pitch had lower bounce than they had expected, and his team tried its best to cope with the conditions.

Chennai Super Kings beat the Rajasthan Royals by five wickets, moving within inches of qualifying for the Playoffs with just one game remaining. After a superb bowling performance that restricted Rajasthan Royals to 141/5 in 20 overs, Ruturaj Gaikwad played a true captain's inning, scoring 42 runs not out as the young opener stood like a rock in front of the potent bowling attack scoring and powering his team to a comfortable victory.

Although Gaikwad played as the anchor, it was the explosiveness of Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell and Shivam Dube that got CSK over the line comfortably, Solid batting combined with fine bowling efforts by pacers Simarjeet Singh and Tushar Deshpande helped CSK put and apply continuous pressure throughout the game and secure an important victory.

Sanju Samson agreed that they failed to get to the score they had in mind after the first few overs.

"I think after the Power-play, the message was the wicket was slow and two-paced. The bounce was also not as much as we expected. When I was batting in the middle, the score I was expecting was around 170. We were 20-25 runs short. We tried our best, they knew the conditions and they bowled smartly," said Samson at the post-match presentation ceremony on Sunday.

He admitted that Chennai Super Kings bowler Simarjeet Singh bowled well. "Simarjeet bowled well today. We are not very sure what to expect in away games. Looking at the venue, we thought batting first might be better. I think when you have a score to chase, on these wickets, they had a better idea and a better hand in this," he said.

Samson, who set the record for leading Rajasthan Royals in the greatest number of matches by leading them out in the 57th match and getting past Shane Warne, said the wicket did not slow down as much as they had expected in the second innings.

"We expected it to be slower in the second innings, but it was a touch better. When you play here in night games, it is a no-brainer (to chase) with all the dew coming in. The summer is getting hotter in India and as the wicket heats up, I was expecting it to slow down. They also batted really well. The way the game went to the 18th over, the wicket was tough to bat on," he added.

Samson said the race for qualifying spots in the Playoffs was top-most of their minds. "Very normal to keep thinking about the qualification at this stage. The conversations we are having is to control what we can do. At the team brief, I will probably ask them to continue the process and hope to get on the better side next game," he said.

Rajasthan Royals are currently 16th in the points table with eight wins from 12 matches. They have suffered losses in three successive matches and now have two more games to play.

Rajasthan Royals will take on Punjab Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati on Wednesday followed by a clash with Kolkata Knight Riders at the same venue on May 19. Winning both matches will ensure them a place in the Playoffs.