IPL 2019: Curran, Pooran heroics power KXIP to 183/6 against KKR at Mohali

Youngster Sam Curran emerged as the key performer for the KXIP innings for his quick-fire 55* off 24 deliveries to help Kings XI Punjab put on a respectable 183 for 6 against Kolkata Knight Riders

Youngster Sam Curran emerged as the key performer for the KXIP innings for his quick-fire 55* off 24 deliveries to help Kings XI Punjab put on a respectable 183 for 6 against Kolkata Knight Riders in a must-win IPL game at Mohali on Friday. Apart from Curran, West Indies' Pooran displayed belligerence as he smashed 48 off 27 balls to provide the power hitting that as desperately required in the beginning, especially after KXIP lost Gayle and KL Rahul cheaply. Englishman Curran smashed KKR bowlers all over the park to take the score past 180-run mark.

Sam Curran propels KXIP with unbeaten 55 https://t.co/rKO6eW7nIv

— Shivam Sharma (@Shivam_Sharma33) May 3, 2019

Pooran showed his big-hitting prowess and stitched an important partnership of 69 runs withMayank Agarwal (36 off 26 balls) for the third wicket. However, Pooran was extremely unlucky to miss out on a deserving fifty as he mistimed Nitish Rana’s half-tracker and was caught out in the deep mid-wicket region.

Nicholas Pooran's aggressive 48 (27) https://t.co/TdX3scnI3k

— Shivam Sharma (@Shivam_Sharma33) May 3, 2019

Once Agarwal and later Mandeep Singh (25) got out, it seemed that KXIP will have to settle for less than 170 but Curran had other ideas as 32 runs came off the last two overs. In the 19th over, Curran hit Andre Russell for a couple of boundaries, before launching into countrymate Harry Gurney, hitting him for 22 runs, which included three fours and a big six. In all, Curran hit seven fours and two sixes.