Sanju Samson once again proved why he’s one of the sharpest minds behind the stumps in the IPL. Known for his street-smart instincts and swift decision-making, Samson pulled off a brilliant DRS call that gave Rajasthan Royals a crucial breakthrough during their clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the 2025 season.

At one stage, it looked like GT were running away with the game. Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan were in sublime touch, dismantling the Royals’ bowling with ease. Their 80-run partnership for the second wicket put Rajasthan on the back foot, and a turnaround seemed unlikely. But that’s when Maheesh Theekshana produced a beauty — a carrom ball that beat Buttler and struck him on the pad.

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While the on-field umpire turned down the appeal, Samson wasted no time in signaling for DRS. His instincts were spot-on, as replays confirmed the ball would’ve crashed into the stumps. The decision not only removed Buttler but also shifted the momentum.

Game Changer DRS review by Sanju Samson 👏 #sanjusamson #josbuttler #RRvGT #GTvRR pic.twitter.com/amPxOtxI7K

— Hem Choudhary (@HemChoudhary877) April 9, 2025

Earlier, GT had lost Shubman Gill cheaply, but Buttler and Sudharsan made sure the scoring rate never dipped. After Buttler’s dismissal, Rajasthan picked up a couple more wickets, regaining some control. However, Sudharsan has held firm at one end and is now inching towards a century, guiding GT to 174/4 in 17 overs, with a 200-plus total well within reach.

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Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande