Cricket

Punjab Kings Opt to Chase Against Chennai Super Kings in IPL ClashIn a highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter, Punjab Kings captain Sam Curran won the toss and elected to field first against Chennai Super Kings at the picturesque Dharamsala Cricket Stadium on May 5.Curran expressed his team's preference for chasing, stating, "We fancy our chances of chasing here. We are playing the same team."Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, on the other hand, acknowledged their recent struggles in the toss, saying, "We lost nine out of ten tosses so far. But we won five games. It is a positive." He also revealed that Mitchell Santner had replaced Mustafizur Rahman in the team.The teams took to the field with the following lineups:Chennai Super Kings:* Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)* Ajinkya Rahane* Daryl Mitchell* Shivam Dube* Ravindra Jadeja* Moeen Ali* MS Dhoni (wk)* Mitchell Santner* Shardul Thakur* Tushar Deshpande* Richard GleesonPunjab Kings:* Jonny Bairstow* Rilee Rossouw* Shashank Singh* Sam Curran (c)* Jitesh Sharma (wk)* Ashutosh Sharma* Harpreet Brar* Kagiso Rabada* Rahul Chahar* Harshal Patel* Arshdeep SinghThe match commenced with Chennai Super Kings openers Gaikwad and Rahane facing the Punjab Kings bowlers. The Punjab bowlers, led by Rabada and Arshdeep, kept the scoring rate in check, while the Chennai batters struggled to find their rhythm.As the innings progressed, the Punjab Kings bowlers continued to dominate, with Chahar and Patel picking up wickets at regular intervals. Chennai Super Kings eventually managed to post a modest total of 145/8 in their allotted 20 overs.In response, the Punjab Kings openers, Bairstow and Rossouw, got off to a solid start, putting on a 50-run partnership. However, the Chennai bowlers fought back, with Santner and Gleeson taking wickets to put the brakes on the Punjab chase.Despite the setbacks, the Punjab Kings middle order, led by Curran and Jitesh Sharma, kept the scoreboard ticking. They eventually reached the target with two balls to spare, securing a crucial victory.

England and Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Sam Curran has joined an exclusive club of bowlers who have conceded 50 or more runs on six or more occasions in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Curran's unwanted feat came during his side's match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.Curran was taken to the cleaners by KKR openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, as well as the team's middle-order, conceding 60 runs and taking just one wicket. His economy rate was a staggering 15. This was the sixth time Curran has conceded 50 or more runs in an IPL spell, joining the likes of Mohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Pat Cummins, and Kagiso Rabada.Curran's performance also marked the fifth most expensive figures by a PBKS bowler in IPL history. Afghanistan's Mujeeb ur Rahman holds the record with his 0/66 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2019.Despite his expensive spell, Curran has taken 12 wickets in nine games this season, with an average of 22.58 and a strike rate of 14. However, his economy rate of 9.67 remains a concern.In the match, Punjab sent Kolkata to bat first after winning the toss. Narine and Salt put on a batting masterclass, scoring 71 and 75 runs respectively, to power KKR to a massive 261/6 in 20 overs.Punjab's chase was led by Jonny Bairstow (108), Prabhsimran Singh (54), and Shashank Singh (68*), who played unbeaten knocks to chase down the target with eight balls to spare. Narine was the only wicket-taker for KKR.Bairstow was named the 'Player of the Match' for his match-winning century.With this victory, KKR moved up to second place in the IPL 2024 standings with 10 points from eight matches. Punjab, on the other hand, remains in eighth place with six points from nine games.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis has been fined a hefty Rs 12 lakh, while Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Sam Curran has been penalized 50% of his match fees for their respective offenses during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.Du Plessis' fine stems from his team's slow over rate during RCB's thrilling one-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. It was RCB's first over-rate offense of the season.The IPL statement read, "Mr Faf du Plessis, Captain, Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 36 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on April 21, 2024."Curran, on the other hand, was fined for showing dissent towards an umpire's decision during PBKS' three-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) in Mullanpur on Sunday. The offense falls under Article 2.8 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which prohibits "showing dissent at an umpire's decision.""Curran committed a Level 1 offense under Article 2.8 of the IPL's Code of Conduct. He admitted to the offense and accepted the Match Referee's sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding," an IPL media release stated.The loss against GT was Punjab's fourth on the trot, leaving them languishing in ninth place in the points table.

Punjab Kings' woes continue in IPL 2024 as they suffer a fourth consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Gujarat Titans by a narrow three-wicket margin. The loss leaves the Preity Zinta co-owned franchise languishing in ninth place in the standings, exacerbating their struggles in the absence of star player Shikhar Dhawan due to injury.With Dhawan sidelined, all-rounder Sam Curran has assumed the captaincy role, but his performances with both bat and ball have failed to impress. India cricket legend Virender Sehwag has been particularly critical of Punjab Kings' approach, questioning their decision-making regarding player roles and lineup adjustments."If I was in the PBKS dugout, I would not even pick him in my team, neither as a batting all-rounder nor as a bowling all-rounder. I wouldn't pick him," Sehwag remarked on Cricbuzz, highlighting Curran's underwhelming contributions.Sehwag further emphasized his point, stating, "A player is not of any use if he can bowl a bit and bat a bit. You either bat properly and win us the match, or you bowl and win us the game. This bits and pieces part I don't understand."Statistically, Curran's performance this season has been lackluster, managing only 152 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 116.03, with just one half-century to his name. Despite taking 11 wickets for Punjab Kings, his overall impact has been questioned amidst the team's struggles.Punjab Kings' batting has also been inconsistent, with only Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone consistently delivering substantial contributions. The middle order has failed to provide adequate support, with the likes of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, and Jitesh Sharma failing to live up to expectations.The bowling attack has also been underwhelming, with Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh failing to replicate their previous performances. The absence of Dhawan has also deprived Punjab Kings of a reliable opening batsman, putting additional pressure on the other batters.As the IPL 2024 season progresses, Punjab Kings find themselves at a crossroads, facing mounting pressure to arrest their slide and salvage their campaign without the services of key player Shikhar Dhawan.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) faced off in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Thursday, with PBKS winning the toss and electing to bowl first. Shikhar Dhawan's absence due to a shoulder injury meant that Sam Curran continued to lead the team.PBKS made one change to their lineup, bringing in Rilee Rossouw in place of Jonny Bairstow. Atharva Taide also missed out. MI, on the other hand, fielded an unchanged playing XI.Punjab Kings:* Rilee Rossouw* Prabhsimran Singh* Sam Curran (c)* Jitesh Sharma (wk)* Liam Livingstone* Shashank Singh* Ashutosh Sharma* Harpreet Brar* Harshal Patel* Kagiso Rabada* Arshdeep SinghMumbai Indians:* Rohit Sharma* Ishan Kishan (wk)* Suryakumar Yadav* Tilak Varma* Hardik Pandya (c)* Tim David* Romario Shepherd* Mohammad Nabi* Gerald Coetzee* Shreyas Gopal* Jasprit BumrahThe match began with MI openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan putting on a solid partnership. However, PBKS bowlers managed to break through the defense, with Kagiso Rabada dismissing Sharma for 24. Kishan followed soon after, caught by Liam Livingstone off the bowling of Harpreet Brar.Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma then steadied the MI innings, but both fell in quick succession to Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh, respectively. Hardik Pandya and Tim David attempted to rebuild the innings, but they too were dismissed by Patel and Rabada.MI's middle order struggled to make an impact, with only Romario Shepherd (25) and Mohammad Nabi (22) reaching double figures. The team was eventually bowled out for 131 in 19.3 overs.In response, PBKS openers Rilee Rossouw and Prabhsimran Singh got off to a solid start, putting on 47 runs for the first wicket. Rossouw was particularly impressive, hitting three sixes and two fours in his 43-run knock.After Rossouw's dismissal, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma continued the momentum, adding 42 runs for the second wicket. Livingstone fell for 22, but Sharma remained unbeaten on 30, guiding PBKS to a comfortable victory with 2.4 overs to spare.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has been marred by allegations of toss tampering, with fans claiming that match referee Javagal Srinath manipulated the coin toss result during the Mumbai Indians vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru match. However, these claims have been debunked by social media users who provided video evidence to the contrary.Despite the debunking, the issue resurfaced during Mumbai Indians' match against Punjab Kings on Thursday. After the coin toss, Punjab Kings stand-in skipper Sam Curran checked the result himself before the coin was picked up by the match referee. The broadcasters also zoomed in on the result, clearly showing that Punjab Kings had won the toss and elected to field.This is not the first time toss tampering claims have made headlines. A video showing a conversation between Faf du Plessis and Pat Cummins had fans convinced that they were discussing the coin flip.The Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians match featured several notable moments. Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to bowl, with Rilee Rossouw replacing the injured Shikhar Dhawan. Mumbai Indians made a few tactical changes, dropping Atharva Taide and bringing in Piyush Chawla.The match itself was a close contest, with both teams fighting hard for victory. In the end, Punjab Kings emerged victorious by a narrow margin, thanks to a brilliant all-round performance from Sam Curran.

Punjab Kings' Captaincy Controversy: Jitesh Sharma Not Designated Vice-CaptainPunjab Kings' decision to appoint Sam Curran as captain in place of the injured Shikhar Dhawan during their IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals has sparked controversy on social media. Fans expressed their displeasure, particularly as Jitesh Sharma had been earlier designated as the franchise's 'vice-captain'.However, Punjab Kings head coach Sanjay Bangar has clarified that Jitesh Sharma was never officially designated as the vice-captain. He explained that Jitesh's attendance at the IPL captain's shoot ahead of the season was in accordance with IPL directives, which stated that any player could represent the franchise at the event.Bangar revealed that Curran was initially slated to attend the event but missed it due to his late arrival from the UK. "Jitesh wasn't the designated vice-captain. The impression could have been because he attended the captain's seminar or meeting at the start of the tournament," stated Bangar. "But we were very clear in our minds that if at all there would be an opening, it would be Sam to lead the team."The confusion surrounding the captaincy decision left veterans and experts puzzled, while fans expressed their frustration on social media platforms.

Punjab Kings' all-rounder Sam Curran expressed disappointment after his team's narrow three-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite restricting Royals to a modest 147/8, Punjab's batters failed to capitalize, leaving Curran to lament their inability to finish games.Curran, who led the team in the absence of injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, acknowledged the challenging nature of the wicket but emphasized the need for better execution. "We didn't start well with the bat and didn't finish well in the end," he said. "It was a good effort from the lower order, getting (close) to 150 was excellent, but unfortunately, it was another close loss."Punjab's batting woes have been a recurring theme this season, with the team struggling to convert competitive performances into wins. Curran highlighted the importance of adapting to the new venue, but expressed confidence in his team's ability to bounce back."Three games is a hard way to fully work out the conditions, but we've adapted well," he said. "We won the first match and lost two matches by close margins. It's hard to take, but the boys will be lifted by how well we've played in the last couple of games."Despite the setbacks, Curran praised his team's bowling and fielding efforts. "We stuck to our plans, bowled and fielded well," he said. "We're confident we'll bounce back in the next game."Punjab Kings will be looking to break their losing streak when they face Kolkata Knight Riders on April 13.

Punjab Kings Skipper Shikhar Dhawan Misses Match Due to Injury, Sam Curran Leads TeamIn a surprising turn of events, Punjab Kings' regular captain Shikhar Dhawan was absent from the toss for their match against Rajasthan Royals at Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Saturday. Star all-rounder Sam Curran stepped in to represent PBKS at the toss with RR's Sanju Samson.After winning the toss, Curran revealed the reason behind Dhawan's absence. "Shikhar (Dhawan) picked up a niggle, that's why I'm here," said Curran.Curran also shared that PBKS would have preferred to bowl first, but would now have to bat first. He praised the team's balance and highlighted the contributions of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma in the middle order.For Rajasthan Royals, Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin were also absent due to injuries, as confirmed by captain Sanju Samson.Samson explained that RR would bowl first, as the wicket appeared conducive to bowling. He emphasized the team's focus on process and building a strong unit.Playing XIs:Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Tanush Kotian, Keshav Maharaj, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra ChahalPunjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada