The Kings XI Punjab captain’s all-round performance helped the team beat Samson by five wickets; Local player Parag’s 34-ball 48 reduced the score by 9. Rajasthan Royals improved the game to 144 runs, but failed to score.
The Kings are out to secure the top two spots in IPL 2024.
Curran led by example and scored the winner at the Basapara Stadium with an unbeaten 63 off 41 balls after picking up two wickets as PBKS struggled to avoid the wooden spoon.
Despite losing Prabhusimran Singh early on, the visitors started confidently as they responded with RR 144 for 9.
But with the wickets of Rilee Rossouw and Shashank Singh in the fifth over, Avesh Khan boosted the confidence of the crowd.
PBKS posted a score of 35 at the end of four quarters and dropped to 39 in the third after the PowerPlay.
Soon after, Donovan Ferreira and Riyan Parag combined for a catch along the line, followed by the wicket of Jonny Bairstow. As Curran and Jitesh Sharma settle, Chahal finds the back of the wicketkeeper. Ashutosh Sharma came in to join the captain and make sure there was no problem.
In the beginning, it didn’t take long for people to realize that the odd ball would swing across the field.
Curran strikes quickly, tricks Yashasvi Jaiswal into pushing the ball across the body and cuts it into the stumps from the inside edge.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s debut failed to ease things for Rajasthan, who struggled against the Royals in the last two days due to Jos Buttler’s hole at the top of the order. With the pressure mounting, Samson hit keeper Nathan Ellis in the throat at the back end as he tried to chase down the shorter square boundary.
Parag took to the home ground to a warm welcome from the home fans and joined forces with R. Ashwin to score a fifty off 34 balls.
However, when Ashwin fell, it was difficult for RR to stop his decline. Parag is two years short of fifty, and he has done a lot
Yashasvi Jaiswal b Curran 4 (4b, 1×4), Tom Kohler-Cadmore c Jitesh b Rahul Chahar 18 (23b, 2×4, 1×6), Sanju Samson c Rahul Chahar b Ellis 18 (15b, 3×4), Riyan Parag lbw b Harshal 48 (34b, 6×4), R. Ashwin c Shashank b Arshdeep 28 (19b, 3×4, 1×6), Dhruv Jurel c Harpreet b Curran 0 (1b), Rovman Powell c and b Rahul Chahar 4 (5b, 1×4), Donovan Ferreira c Rossouw b Harshal 7 (8b), Trent Boult run out 12 (9b, 2×4), Avesh Khan (not out) 3 (2b); Extras (lb-1, w-1): 2; Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 144.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-4 (Jaiswal, 0.4 overs), 2-40 (Samson, 6.4), 3-42 (Kohler-Cadmore, 7.2), 4-92 (Ashwin, 12.6), 5-97 (Jurel, 13.3), 6-102 (Powell, 14.3), 7-125 (Ferreira, 17.3), 8-138 (Parag, 19.2 ov), 9-144 (Boult, 19.6).
PUNJAB KINGS BOWLING
Curran 3-0-24-2, Arshdeep 4-0-31-1, Ellis 4-0-24-1, Harshal 4-0-28-2, Rahul Chahar 4-0-26-2, Harpreet 1-0-10-0.
PUNJAB KINGS
Prabhsimran Singh c Chahal b Boult 6 (4b, 1×4), Jonny Bairstow c Parag b Chahal 14 (22b, 1×4), Rilee Rossouw c Jaiswal b Avesh 22 (13b, 5×4), Shashank Singh lbw b Avesh 0 (2b), Sam Curran (not out) 63 (41b, 5×4, 3×6), Jitesh Sharma c Parag b Chahal 22 (20b, 2×6), Ashutosh Sharma (not out) 17 (11b, 1×4, 1×6); Extras (w-1): 1; Total (for five wkts. in 18.5 overs): 145.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-6 (Prabhsimran, 0.4 overs), 2-36 (Rossouw, 4.3), 3-36 (Shashank, 4.5), 4-48 (Bairstow, 7.6), 5-111 (Jitesh, 15.4).
ROYALS BOWLING
Boult 3-0-27-1, Sandeep 4-0-28-0, Avesh 3.5-0-28-2, Ashwin 4-0-31-0, Chahal 4-0-31-2.
Toss: Rajasthan Royals.
PoM: Curran
PBKS won by five wickets with seven deliveries remaining
