Sanju Samson began IPL 2024 with one of his finest opening-day performances as Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 20 runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on March 24, 2024.

Rajasthan posted 193/4 from 20 overs, built around Samson’s unbeaten 82 from 52 balls and Riyan Parag’s important 43.

Lucknow recovered from an alarming 11/3 through captain KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran, but Rajasthan’s bowlers held their nerve in the final overs to restrict LSG to 173/6.

Samson was named Player of the Match for an innings that ultimately became the starting point of his most productive IPL season with the bat.

The official report is available on the IPL website.

RR vs LSG 2024 Match Summary

Rajasthan Lose Both Openers Inside Five Overs

Rajasthan captain Sanju Samson won the toss and chose to bat.

Jos Buttler struck two early boundaries but was dismissed by Naveen-ul-Haq for 11 from nine balls.

Yashasvi Jaiswal played much more aggressively, scoring 24 from 12, including three fours and a six.

But Mohsin Khan removed Jaiswal from the final delivery of the fifth over, leaving Rajasthan at 49/2.

The Royals had lost both established openers early.

That brought together Samson and Riyan Parag.

Sanju Samson Takes Control

Samson initially gave himself time to assess the pitch before increasing the tempo.

The Rajasthan captain reached his half-century from 33 deliveries and became particularly aggressive against the spinners.

His final innings included:

82 not out from 52 balls
3 fours
6 sixes
Strike rate: 157.69

The six sixes were particularly important because Samson was able to increase Rajasthan’s scoring rate without taking unnecessary risks every over.

It was also the fifth consecutive IPL season in which Samson scored at least fifty in his first match of the season, continuing a remarkable pattern of strong IPL starts.

Riyan Parag’s Promotion to No. 4 Pays Off

One of Rajasthan’s important tactical decisions for IPL 2024 was promoting Riyan Parag to No. 4.

Previously, Parag had frequently been used much lower in the order.

Against Lucknow, the new role immediately produced results.

Parag scored:

43 from 29 balls

with one four and three sixes.

More importantly, Samson and Parag added 93 runs from 59 balls for the third wicket.

Their partnership moved Rajasthan from 49/2 to 142/3 and gave the middle order a strong platform for the final five overs.

That innings proved to be an early sign of what was coming from Parag in 2024.

He eventually finished the season as Rajasthan’s leading run-scorer with 573 runs, while Samson made 531.

Dhruv Jurel Helps Rajasthan Finish Strongly

Lucknow briefly fought back after Parag’s dismissal.

Ravi Bishnoi removed Shimron Hetmyer for five, leaving Rajasthan at 150/4.

But Samson remained unbeaten and Dhruv Jurel contributed a useful 20 not out from 12 deliveries.

Rajasthan finished on:

193/4 from 20 overs.

For Lucknow, Naveen-ul-Haq was the leading wicket-taker with 2/41, while Krunal Pandya produced the most economical spell: 4 overs for only 19 runs without a wicket.

Rajasthan Royals Batting Score

Rajasthan Royals: 193/4 from 20 overs

Trent Boult Destroys LSG’s Start

Lucknow needed 194 to win.

Their chase immediately ran into trouble.

Trent Boult dismissed Quinton de Kock for four in the opening over.

In his next over, Boult bowled Devdutt Padikkal for a duck.

Nandre Burger then claimed his first IPL wicket by removing Ayush Badoni for one.

Lucknow were suddenly:

11/3 after 3.1 overs.

This was arguably the first major turning point of the chase.

A target of 194 requires an aggressive Powerplay. Instead, Lucknow spent much of it rebuilding.

Deepak Hooda Counterattacks

LSG introduced Deepak Hooda as their Impact Player, replacing Yash Thakur.

Hooda immediately attacked Rajasthan’s bowlers.

He scored:

26 from 13 balls

including two fours and two sixes.

His counterattack helped Lucknow recover from 11/3.

However, Yuzvendra Chahal removed him before he could turn the start into a substantial innings.

LSG were 60/4.

That left the chase largely dependent on KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran.

KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran Bring LSG Back

Rahul and Pooran rebuilt patiently before increasing the scoring rate.

Rahul reached fifty from 35 balls, while Pooran began attacking Rajasthan’s seamers.

Together they added 85 runs and brought Lucknow back into the contest.

Rahul eventually made:

58 from 44 balls

while Pooran finished unbeaten on:

64 from 41 balls.

At one stage, LSG needed 49 from the final 24 balls.

With Pooran at the crease, the chase remained possible.

Then Sandeep Sharma delivered the decisive breakthrough.

Sandeep Sharma Removes KL Rahul

Sandeep dismissed Rahul for 58 when the Lucknow captain tried to accelerate and was caught in the deep.

The wicket came at an important moment because Rahul and Pooran had rebuilt the innings sufficiently to make the final overs competitive.

Ravichandran Ashwin then removed Marcus Stoinis for three.

That left Pooran with too much to do at the other end.

Sandeep finished with an economical:

3 overs, 22 runs, 1 wicket.

This is also a useful correction to the framing of your old article.

Instead of saying Rajasthan’s attack was simply “led by Sandeep Sharma,” the more accurate description is:

Boult created the early collapse, while Sandeep and the rest of Rajasthan’s attack controlled the death overs.

Avesh Khan Nails the Final Over

Lucknow required 27 runs from the final six deliveries.

Avesh Khan had the difficult task of bowling to Nicholas Pooran, one of T20 cricket’s most dangerous finishers.

He conceded only six runs from the last over.

That ended any possibility of a late comeback.

Lucknow finished:

173/6 from 20 overs

and Rajasthan completed a 20-run victory.

LSG Batting Score

Lucknow Super Giants: 173/6 from 20 overs

Rajasthan Royals Bowling Figures

The figures show that Rajasthan’s victory was not built around one dominant bowler.

Instead, different bowlers performed different roles:

Boult attacked with the new ball.

Chahal and Ashwin broke partnerships.

Sandeep and Avesh controlled the final overs.

Three Turning Points That Decided RR vs LSG

1. Samson and Parag’s 93-Run Partnership

Rajasthan were 49/2 when Parag joined Samson.

Their partnership transformed the innings and created the platform for 193.

2. LSG Fall to 11/3

Boult and Burger made the chase immediately difficult.

Instead of attacking the Powerplay, Lucknow had to rebuild.

3. Sandeep Dismisses Rahul

Rahul and Pooran had brought the equation down to a realistic level.

Removing Rahul with four overs remaining forced Pooran to carry almost all of the finishing responsibility.

Those three phases explain the match more clearly than simply looking at the final 20-run margin.

Sanju Samson’s 82* Started His Best IPL Season

The significance of this innings became clearer as IPL 2024 progressed.

Samson eventually finished the season with:

531 runs
Average: 48.27
Strike rate: 153.46
Five half-centuries

It was his highest run aggregate in a single IPL season at that point.

Rajasthan also won eight of their first nine matches, their best start to an IPL season.

So the 82 not out against Lucknow was not an isolated performance.

It started one of Samson’s strongest IPL campaigns.

RR Beat LSG Again Later in IPL 2024

The two teams met again on April 27 in Lucknow.

This time LSG made 196/5, with KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda putting together a 115-run partnership.

Rajasthan successfully chased the target.

Samson again played the decisive innings, scoring:

71 from 33 balls*

while Dhruv Jurel made his maiden IPL fifty, finishing on:

52 from 34 balls.*

Their unbeaten 121-run partnership carried RR to a seven-wicket victory.

Read the official IPL report of the second RR–LSG meeting.

Rajasthan therefore completed a 2–0 league double over Lucknow in IPL 2024.

How Rajasthan’s IPL 2024 Season Ended

Rajasthan’s spectacular early form eventually slowed.

They finished the league stage with 17 points, but Sunrisers Hyderabad took second place because of superior net run rate, leaving Rajasthan third.

RR then defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in the Eliminator.

Their season ended in Qualifier 2, where Sunrisers Hyderabad beat them by 36 runs in Chennai.

So Rajasthan progressed much further than the original version of this article could have known when it said the team would “look to build on this momentum.”

They ultimately reached within one victory of the IPL final.

For the full season story, read our IPL 2024 recap.

RR vs LSG After 2024

The rivalry continued to produce close and dramatic matches.

The 2025 match was particularly dramatic. Rajasthan needed only 25 from 19 balls but LSG recovered, with Avesh Khan taking 3/37 and defending nine runs in the final over to secure a two-run win.

In 2026, Rajasthan regained control of the matchup, winning first by 40 runs in Lucknow and later completing a 221-run chase in Jaipur with five balls remaining.

Sanju Samson Is No Longer a Rajasthan Royals Player

There is one important current update for readers arriving at this article in 2026.

Samson no longer represents Rajasthan Royals.

Ahead of IPL 2026, RR and Chennai Super Kings completed a major trade in which Sanju Samson moved to CSK at his ₹18 crore league fee.

Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moved from Chennai to Rajasthan as part of the wider trade arrangement.

The official announcement is available here: IPL 2026 Player Trade Updates.

That makes the March 2024 match part of the closing chapter of Samson’s long association with Rajasthan rather than a reflection of his current IPL team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won RR vs LSG in IPL 2024?

Rajasthan Royals won their first meeting by 20 runs after scoring 193/4 and restricting LSG to 173/6.

How many runs did Sanju Samson score?

Samson scored an unbeaten 82 from 52 balls, including three fours and six sixes.

Who was Player of the Match?

Sanju Samson was named Player of the Match.

How many runs did Nicholas Pooran score?

Pooran remained unbeaten on 64 from 41 balls.

What did KL Rahul score?

KL Rahul scored 58 from 44 deliveries.

Who took the most wickets for Rajasthan?

Trent Boult took 2/35, the best figures among Rajasthan’s bowlers.

Did Rajasthan beat Lucknow twice in IPL 2024?

Yes. RR won by 20 runs in Jaipur and by seven wickets in Lucknow.

How far did Rajasthan Royals go in IPL 2024?

They finished third in the league stage, beat RCB in the Eliminator and lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2.

Does Sanju Samson still play for Rajasthan Royals?

No. He was traded to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2026.

Final Takeaway

The RR vs LSG 2024 opener was more significant than a routine 20-run Rajasthan victory.

Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 82 from 52 balls rescued Rajasthan after both openers departed inside five overs.

Riyan Parag’s 43 helped produce a crucial 93-run partnership, and Rajasthan reached 193/4.

Lucknow then collapsed to 11/3 before KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran rebuilt the chase.

Their recovery made the contest competitive, but Rajasthan executed the final overs better. Sandeep Sharma removed Rahul, Ashwin dismissed Stoinis and Avesh Khan conceded only six when LSG required 27 from the final over.

The match also foreshadowed two major IPL 2024 stories.

Parag’s promotion to No. 4 helped him eventually score 573 runs, while Samson went on to make a career-best-season tally of 531 runs and lead Rajasthan into Qualifier 2.

Rajasthan then defeated Lucknow again later in the same season, with Samson scoring another unbeaten match-winning fifty.

In retrospect, his 82* in Jaipur was therefore not simply an impressive opening innings — it was the beginning of one of the strongest seasons of Samson’s Rajasthan Royals career.

For more cricket coverage, visit the Buzz Content Corner Sports section.

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