Sam Curran's All-Round Brilliance Guides PBKS To Victory Over RR In IPL 2024 Clash

Guwahati, May 15: Skipper Sam Curran led Punjab Kings to a five-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match on Wednesday. Curran's well-paced fifty and two wickets were pivotal in the win.

Chasing a target of 145, Punjab Kings struggled on a sluggish track but managed to reach 145/5 in 18.5 overs. Curran's unbeaten 63 off 41 balls, including five fours and three sixes, was crucial. Jitesh Sharma supported him with 22 runs off 20 balls, adding 63 runs in a fifth-wicket partnership.

This defeat marked Rajasthan Royals' fourth consecutive loss, though they remain second on the table with 16 points and have already qualified for the playoffs.

1. Man Of The Match: Sam Curran (PBKS) - 61 runs and 2/24
2. Punch.EV Electric Striker Of The Match: Rilee Rousow (PBKS) - Strike rate: 169.23
3. My11Circle Ultimate Player: Sam Curran
4. Super 6s Of The Match: Sam Curran (PBKS) - 3 sixes
5. RuPay On-The-Go 4s: Riyan Parag (RR) - 6 fours

Sanju Samson, losing captain: We needed a few more runs. I think we were 10-15 runs short. It was a 160 kind of wicket. We would have easily got more than 160 had we played better. Would have been nice to have one more bowling option. I am getting used to five quality bowlers.

We have to sit back and accept that we are going through failures, having lost four games on the trot. We need to find out what's not working for us as a team. Somebody needs to step up; we have so many match-winners in the team.

This is the time we need to show character. We need to score more runs. We thought 160-170 would have been a good score. We are not used to playing on such wickets this season where 200-plus totals are getting scored easily. We had to play smart cricket and build those partnerships today.

Sam Curran, PBKS captain and POTM: We bowled really well as a group. The message was that we had a lot of pride to play for. Ellis was amazing in his first game of the season. Probably should've played him earlier. When I went in, Jonny said it was quite tough. It was holding a little bit. Didn't need to take too much risk.

Knew on a ground like this, we just needed a couple of sixes. Me and Jonny are leaving tomorrow. Have thoroughly enjoyed the season and captaining. The atmosphere around the group has been really good. Excited about the World Cup.

Hindsight is wonderful. We had so many close games. Feel like the team is close to something. Who knows what the future holds? Loads of positives—the chase in Kolkata and the way Shashank Singh has come into the team is amazing. Ashutosh as well. Harshal and Arshdeep have bowled well.

Stats from RR vs PBKS Match in IPL 2024

50-plus score & 2 wickets in an IPL match as captain:

Ashutosh Sharma vs Avesh Khan in the IPL:

Most consecutive defeats for RR in the IPL:

Bairstow vs Chahal in the IPL: