Curran hat-trick floors Capitals

Kings XI Punjab’s costliest buy Sam Curran proved his worth with an incredible spell at the back end as the home team pulled off a miraculous 14-run victory against Delhi Capitals left stunned by an inexplicable batting collapse in Monday’s IPL encounter.

KXIP’s ‘million dollar man’ Curran picked up 4 for 11 in 2.2 overs including a hat-trick and was ably supported by Mohammed Shami as Delhi Capitals were shot out for 152 in 19.2 overs in pursuit of 167.

From 144 for 3, Delhi lost their last seven wickets for 8 runs, something that will haunt them for days to come especially after Rishabh Pant and Colin Ingram set up what looked like an easy win.

Pant muscled a couple of sixes into deep mid-wicket stand during 39 off 26 balls as Ingram (38 off 29 balls) bisected the off-side field with some precision cut-shots during their stand of 62 in 6.5 overs that took Capitals closer to victory. However there were more twists and turns than what Capitals had thought.

In a space of nine deliveries, Capitals lost four wickets for only four runs. From 144/3, they were in a precarious position at 147/7. The ball also started reversing more and DC’s lower-middle was incapable of handling the movement in the air.

Once Pant was bowled by Mohammed Shami and Chris Morris was needlessly run-out off the very next delivery, things started going downhill.

Curran dealt twin blows removing Ingram and Harshal Patel while Hanuma Vihari (2), a surprise selection in this format with very limited range of strokes was dismissed by Shami as the match swung in KXIP’s favour.

Prithvi Shaw couldn’t replicate his performance against KKR but Shikhar Dhawan (30 off 25 balls) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (28 off 22 balls) added 61 for the second wicket to set a platform. Iyer looked a better player of the two on the day with his shot-arm pull and the powerful slash over point but played away from his body off a Hardus Viljoen delivery while Dhawan padded a carrom ball from Ashwin.

Earlier, Chris Gayle’s absence at the top of the order did have an impact as Kings XI Punjab could only manage a par-score of 166/9 after being put into bat.

Save David Miller (43 off 30 balls) and Sarfaraz Khan (39 off 29 balls), other batsmen didn’t have a good day against the trio of Chris Morris (3/30), Kagiso Rabada (2/32) and young Sandeep Lamichhane (2/27). Sam Curran (20, 10 balls) promoted up the order did hit a couple of lusty blows but Lamichhane got him with a flipper. Mayank Agarwal went for a non-existent single and couldn’t beat Shikar Dhawan’s direct throw at the non-striker’s end.

SCORE BOARD

KINGS XI PUNJAB: K L Rahul lbw Chris Morris 15 (11b, 2x4, 1x6), Sam Curran lbw Lamichhane 20 (10b, 3x4, 1x6), Mayank Agarwal (run out) 6 (9b), Sarfaraz Khan c Pant b Lamichhane 39 (29b, 6x4), David Miller c Pant b Morris 43 (30b, 4x4, 2x6), Mandeep Singh (not out) 29 (21b, 2x4, 1x6), Hardus Viljoen c Morris b Rabada 1 (3b), R Ashwin b Morris 3 (4b), Murugan Ashwin c Avesh b Rabada 1 (2b), Mohammed Shami (run out) 0 (1b), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (not out) 0 (0b). Extras (B-1, W-8) 9. Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 166.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-36, 3-58, 4-120, 5-137, 6-146, 7-152, 8-153, 9-156.

Bowling: Kagiso Rabada 4-0-32-2, Chris Morris 4-0-30-3 (w-1), Avesh Khan 3-0-30-0 (w-1), Sandeep Lamichhane 4-0-27-2, Harshal Patel 4-0-37-0 (w-6), Hanuma Vihari 1-0-9-0.

DELHI CAPITALS: Prithvi Shaw c Rahul b Ashwin 0 (1b), Shikhar Dhawan lbw Ashwin 30 (25b, 4x4), Shreyas Iyer b Viljoen 28 (22b, 5x4), Rishabh Pant b Shami 39 (26b, 3x4, 2x6), Colin Ingram c (sub) Nair b Curran 38 (29b, 4x4, 1x6), Chris Morris (run out) 0 (1b), Hanuma Vihari b Shami 2 (5b), Harshal Patel c Rahul b Curran 0 (2b), Kagiso Rabada b Curran 0 (1b), Avesh Khan (not out) 4 (3b, 1x4), Sandeep Lamichhane b Curran 0 (1b). Extras (LB-5, W-6) 11. Total (all out, 19.2 overs) 152.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-61, 3-82, 4-144, 5-144, 6-147, 7-148, 8-148, 9-152.

Bowling: R Ashwin 4-0-31-2 (w-3), Sam Curran 2.2-0-11-4, (w-1), Mohammed Shami 4-0-27-2, Hardus Viljoen 3-0-22-1, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4-0-36-0 (w-1), Murugan Ashwin 2-0-19-0.

Result: KXIP won by 14 runs