New Delhi:
Delhi Capitals needed 23 runs off 21 balls against Kings XI Punjab at the IS Bindra stadium in Mohali on Tuesday. However, Mohammed Shami took two crucial wickets to give Kings XI Punjab some hope. However, Sam Curran took a hat-trick and Delhi Capitals lost seven wickets in 17 balls as Kings XI Punjab won by 14 runs to occupy the second spot in the 2019 Indian Premier League points table behind Chennai Super Kings. Curran, who made a big impression in the Test series against England, was picked for Rs 7.2 crore in the IPL Auctions and his haul of 4/11 made the 20-year-old the youngest to take this haul. Speaking in the post-match presentation, Curran, who became the third Kings XI Punjab player to take a hat-trick and sixth overseas player, said he had no idea.
"I didn't really know (about the hat-trick). 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," Curran said. The left-arm pacer and batsman said Mohammed Shami's two wickets was a major factor in Delhi Capitals stumbling to a defeat. “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. Ash (R Ashwin) told me what to do. Ryan Harris was standing at the third man region. Against the local batters, I had to ask our players, 'Where does he hit?'. Shami got two amazing overs in the end which helped," Curran said.
Curran's haul shattered Delhi Capitals, leaving the skipper Shreyas Iyer shell-shocked in the post-match presentation. “I am really speechless. It is a crucial match and losing such matches is not going to benefit us. We miscalculated the target. I think It was just a panic in between. They got two wickets in succession, (Chris) Morris and (Rishabh) Pant and there we lost the match. Our batsmen did not taking initiative to win the game. Our batting has been really dominant right from the start but we need to learn from this small things. We didn't bowl that great to be honest, we got a bad start but we controlled in between and that is something we need to take forward. Looking at the quality we have, I think we shouldn't be losing such matches,” Iyer said.
Delhi Capitals will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Feroz Shah Kotla while Kings XI Punjab will take on Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram stadium on April 6.
