Sam Curran cast an enchanting spell of bowling in the 2019 IPL game between Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Delhi Capitals (DC) as he took an incredible hat-trick which turned the match on its head. The young Englishman all-rounder's brilliance saw KXIP grab victory from the brink of defeat in a nail-biting encounter at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on April 1, 2019. With DC requiring 23 runs from 18 balls and sitting pretty at 144/3, Curran initiated a thrilling collapse. In the 18th over, he sent Harshal Patel (caught behind) packing on the last ball.
Coming back for the 20th over, Sam Curran delivered a scorching spell. On the very first ball, he clean-bowled Kagiso Rabada with a lethal yorker. The second delivery knocked Sandeep Lamichhane's stumps out, completing Curran's hat-trick. His spectacular spell of 4/11 in 3.2 overs helped bundle out DC for 152, as they lost 7 wickets for just 8 runs. Curran’s match-winning effort made him the youngest player in IPL history to take a hat-trick, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Summary of KXIP vs DC 2019 IPL match
Batting first, KXIP put up a fightable score of 166/9. David Miller (43 off 30) and Sarfaraz Khan (39 off 29) were the key contributors, while Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris picked up 2 wickets each for DC. In the chase, DC were cruising along with Rishabh Pant (39) and Colin Ingram (38) having a strong partnership. However their collapse began with the fall of Pant’s wicket, and Curran's hat-trick ended DC's hopes.
The victory was a significant morale boost for KXIP's season, demonstrating Curran's skill in delivering under pressure. Even though KXIP failed to make it into the playoffs, this game was one of the most memorable moments of the 2019 IPL season, which demonstrated the exciting unpredictability of the tournament.
