Lucknow: Following his side's two-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Punjab Kings (PBKS) stand-in skipper Sam Curran, leading the side in place of injured Shikhar Dhawan, lauded all-rounder Sikandar Raza and batter Shahrukh Khan for their performances with the bat.
A fighting half-century from Sikandar Raza and an entertaining cameo by Shahrukh Khan powered Punjab Kings to a hard-fought two-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Saturday.
"Amazing win. I thought our spinners bowled nicely. A bit of dew came in but the wicket was offering a little for the bowlers. The way Sikandar Raza played was brilliant. And the way Shahrukh finished it, that is what he is in our team to do. His role has been clear in our side. Players who can hit sixes from ball one are dangerous. You go from ground to ground - different dimensions - have to come up with different game plans. We have got so many options which are lovely to have as a captain. I have never done it before (captaincy). Hopefully, Shikhar is fit soon," said Curran in a post-match presentation.
LSG posted 159/8 in their 20 overs after being put to bat first by PBKS. KL Rahul found form, scoring 74 in 56 consisting of eight fours and a six. Kyle Mayers (29), Krunal Pandya (18) and Marcus Stoinis (15) made some other notable contributions for their side to help them reach a modest total.
Sam Curran was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS, taking 3/31 in his four overs. Kagiso Rabada also took 2/34 in his four overs. Arshdeep Singh, Sikandar Raza and Harpreet Brar took one scalp each.
Chasing 160, PBKS was reduced to 75/4, with a counter-attacking knock coming from Matthew Short (34 in 22 balls with five fours and a six). A half-century from Sikandar Raza (57 off 41 balls with four boundaries and three sixes) and Harpreet Bhatia (22) kept the game alive for PBKS. A cameo of 23* (10) balls from Shahrukh Khan helped PBKS clinch a two-wicket win.
Yudhvir Singh was the pick of the bowlers for LSG, taking 2/19 in three overs. Mark Wood took 2/35 in his four overs. Ravi Bishnoi also got two scalps while Krisnappa Gowtham and Krunal Pandya got one wicket each.
Raza clinched the 'Player of the Match' award for his match-winning all-round show. With this win, PBKS jumped to the fourth position in the points table with three wins and two losses in five matches. They have a total of six points. LSG is in second position with a similar win-loss record, but they have an inferior net run rate which puts them below toppers Rajasthan Royals.
Brief Scores: LSG: 159/8 (KL Rahul 74, Kyle Mayers 29, Sam Curran 3/31) lost against PBKS: 161/8 in 19.3 overs (Sikandar Raza 57, Matthew Short 34, Yudhvir Singh 2/19). (ANI)
