Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) all-rounder Sam Curran picked a hattrick in match 13 of the onging Indian Premier League (IPL) to guide his team beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by 14 runs in an exciting encounter at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. The English all-rounder who returned with figures of four for 11, admitted that he had no idea that he has picked three wickets in a row.
Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab led a late resurgence to help their side register the third win of the season. Mohammed Shami and Sam Curran were of top class in the last four overs to shift the course of the game in their favour. Previously, Colin Ingram led the run chase for Delhi Capitals after a good start by Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer. But Punjab made a stunning comeback to script an emphatic win.
Curran – youngest to pick a hattrick in IPL
At one stage, Delhi required only 23 runs from 21 balls with seven wickets in hand, but Sam Curran wreaked havoc with a hat-trick as the opposition collapsed from 144 for three to 152 all-out. The hattrick spanned over two overs – the first wicket came in the last ball of the 18th over, while Curran removed Kagiso Rabada and Sandeep Lamichhane in the consecutive deliveries of the 20th over.
“No, not at all,” said Curran in an interaction after the match when asked whether he was aware he’d achieved the feat. “My main focus was obviously that last ball when Rabada came and I knew his strengths and where I could bowl, so I was always aiming for his stumps and his toes.
“When we won the game, one of the players came up to me and said ‘you’ve got a hat-trick’. I had absolutely no idea I had taken one,” he added.
Pant’s wicket was the turning point
Mohammed Shami cleaned up Rishabh Pant in the 17th over to shift the momentum of the game. Pant was combining well with Colin Ingram to take the visiting side home. Sam Curran feels the dismissal of the wicket-keeper changed the game in their favour. Besides, he also feels Chris Morris’ wicket was also one of the turning points – Ravichandran Ashwin got him run out in the very first ball.
“I think we were very lucky that Shami changed the game when he got Pant out,” Curran said.
“Very lucky to get him out at that stage and Ravichandran Ashwin’s run out first ball was a huge turning point in the game… we know what Morris can do,” Curran continued.
In conclusion, Sam Curran revealed that he just wanted to bowl towards the body of the batsmen and tried hitting the yorker length in as many deliveries as possible. With three wins now, Kings XI Punjab will be oozing with confidence and will aim to carry on the winning run.