Leadership headache has come back to haunt Punjab Kings (PBKS) again as their stand-in captain Sam Curran is about to fly back home to join England ahead of their bilateral series against Pakistan.
Punjab are left to play one more game in the ongoing 17th season of the Indian Premier League. They are slated to take on the high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 19 (Sunday) and will have to field a new captain.
Their designated skipper Shikhar Dhawan is nursing a shoulder injury and is highly unlikely to return for the clash against Sunrisers. Under such circumstances, the Punjab Kings team management would have no other option but to field a new captain who hasn't led them this season.
Though Punjab are no longer in contention for a place in the playoffs, they would love to win their last game of the season and finish on a high.
Notably, Curran's absence is a big shoe to fill for the management. The England allrounder led the team from the front in the 65th match of the season and helped his side thrash Rajasthan Royals by five wickets and seven balls to spare.
Curran led the team from the front and showcased an inspiring display with both the bat and the ball in hand at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
He was the pick of all the Punjab bowlers as he bagged the big wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel and finished with figures of 2/24 in his four overs.
His spell combined with some disciplined efforts by the rest of the Punjab bowlers restricted Rajasthan to just 144 in 20 overs.
In pursuit of 145, Punjab lost their top order early and Curran was tasked to take the team home.
The 25-year-old answered the call of duty and smashed an unbeaten 63 off 41 balls with the help of five fours and three sixes to help his side cross the line.
Reflecting on the match and the season, Curran lauded the team for displaying character and also mentioned that enjoyed leading a group filled with a talented bunch of players.
"I thought we bowled really well as a group. We had a lot of pride to play for. The way the guys came together... Nathan Ellis, the way he played his first game was excellent. Great character from the team," said Curran during the post-match presentation.
"When I went in, Jonny said it was holding a tough. We were trying to build a partnership. Jitesh came in and got in nicely. We didn't need too many risks, just a couple of sixes. I've thoroughly enjoyed the season, thoroughly enjoyed captaining," he added.
"Quite frustrating to leave, but obviously excited about the World Cup. Hindsight's a wonderful thing. If we win our next game we finish on 12 points. So I feel this team was close to something but it wasn't meant to be. Over the next few seasons, if we can keep some of the really good players, we can go better. Lots of positives. The chase against KKR. Shashank Singh has been amazing, Ashutosh in his debut season. Harshal and Arshdeep have done well as well," he concluded.
