England sensation Sam Curran completes first hat-trick of IPL 2019 – Watch

Kings XI Punjab’s Sam Curran dismantled Delhi Capitals’ batting order with a superb hat-trick to help his side to an improbable 14-run win in their IPL encounter on Monday

Kings XI Punjab’s Sam Curran dismantled Delhi Capitals’ batting order with a superb hat-trick to help his side to an improbable 14-run win in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 encounter on Monday.

Sam Curran celebrates KXIP’s victory over DC on Monday. (PTI)

KXIP set up a 167-run target for the Delhi outfit and the latter looked firmly in command at 144/3 in 16.4 overs. But Rishabh Pant’s dismissal proved to be a harbinger of Delhi’s troubles as they lost seven wickets for a mere eight runs and inexplicably fell 14-run short of KXIP’s total.

In the midst of the Capitals’ collapse, Curran completed a sensational hat-trick to add to his burgeoning reputation as a young all-rounder ready to dominate at the highest level for a very long time.

The England international’s hat-trick was spread over two over. He dismissed Harshal Patel, who flashed at a wide delivery only to edge it into KL Rahul’s gloves, off the last ball of the 18th over to take the first of his troika.

He returned to bowl the final over of the match and uprooted Kagiso Rabada’s leg-stump with a peach of a yorker. Rabada would know the feeling, having himself bowled an outstanding yorker to get the better of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Andre Russell in DC’s last match.

Rabada’s exit brought Sandeep Lamichane to the crease. The Nepal international tried to play another well-guided yorker through the offside only to see his off-stump uprooted and hand Curran a brilliant hat-trick.

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Curran also contributed a 10-ball 20 with the bat, having opened the KXIP innings in the absence of Chris Gayle.

The Punjab outfit paid a significant ₹7.2 crore for Curran’s services and it seems as if their bet on the 20-year-old is paying dividends.