Punjab Kings stand-in captain Sam Curran did a massive favour to the Chennai Super Kings. The England all-rounder produced a match-winning knock that helped PBKS beat Rajasthan Royals in an IPL 2024 match in Guwahati on Wednesday. What it also did was give CSK a chance to finish in the top two of the points table.
RR, which succumbed to its fourth successive loss, is still stuck at 16 points. If they lose their last league match and CSK beat the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their last league game, then the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side will finish at No.2 in the points table. A top-two finish is significant as it gives the sides two cracks at reaching the final.
The CSK fans could not help but thank Curran for his heroics in the middle. They even dug up an old video where Curran, then a player of CSK, was talking about spoiling the party for other teams.
“We can definitely spoil the other team’s party like we did the other with Kolkata. They are probably struggling for the playoffs and now if we beat Kings XI, they will out as well so it’s all good fun,” Curran, who was released by CSK after IPL 2021, said in the video.
‘The yellow still runs in his veins’: Fans thanks Sam Curran
Chasing a tricky 145 on a sluggish pitch, Punjab depended on Curran’s unbeaten 63 to achieve their target with seven balls to spare.
Curran put on a key 63-run stand with Jitesh Sharma, who made 22, and despite losing his partner in the 16th over steered the team home to lift them from the bottom of the 10-team table.
Sam Curran leaves for T20 World Cup preparations
Curran, who took over as Punjab captain midway this season after an injury to regular skipper Shikhar Dhawan, and teammate Jonny Bairstow will depart for England on Thursday in preparation for the T20 World Cup in June.
“Me and Jonny are leaving tomorrow,” player of the match Curran said.
“Obviously nice. Have thoroughly enjoyed the season, have enjoyed captaining. Atmosphere around the group has been really good. Excited about the World Cup.”
Most of the England players in IPL including Rajasthan’s Jos Buttler have already left home ahead of four T20 matches against Pakistan as a tune-up for the World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.
Impact substitute Ashutosh Sharma smashed 17 and the winning run to hand Rajasthan their fourth successive defeat in this edition of the T20 tournament.
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