Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Sam Curran had a below-par day with the ball as he gave away 58 runs in his four overs and took just one wicket but that one wicket was probably the game-changer for the men in yellow, as it was the crucial scalp of Kolkata Knight Riders' hard-hitting all-rounder Andre Russell.
Russell was in some form on Wednesday evening and his side losing five wickets just inside the powerplay didn't have any effect on him as he started muscling the ball from the outset.
He didn't want to let the powerplay overs go waste, so he accumulated 14 runs off the remaining four balls of the first six, hitting two fours and a six. After which, wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik joined him and both started smashing everything.
Russell was particularly severe on Shardul Thakur, hitting three sixes and a four in the 10th over of the innings as the match, which was looking like one-way traffic, was suddenly a box office where Russell was the protagonist. He hit Ravindra Jadeja for a six and brought up his fifty in just 21 balls.
Russell was threatening to take away the game from the CSK's grasp but it was their wonder boy Sam Curran, who did the trick again for the men in yellow, in what was an anti-climatic end to an innings for the ages.
Curran bowled a length ball on the leg-stump line and Russell shuffled across inside the line but decided to let it go thinking that it was a leg-side wide, however, it was not to be as the ball crashed into the topof the leg-stump and the bowler let out a roar to let everyone know that he got the big wicket, and as it turned out the game-changing wicket of the match.
Super Sam at it!
A beauty from Sam Curran bowls Andre Russell behind his legs.
The Dre Russ show comes to an end on 54.
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2021
Curran's bluff impressed the fans on Twitter, who went gaga over their youngest Super King. Here are some of the reactions:
Surgical Strike pic.twitter.com/8EQwBUANAc
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) April 21, 2021
Oh Sam curran. What a ball #KKRvCSK
— Pooja Shah (@_PoojaShah) April 21, 2021
That wicket of Russell by Sam Curran #beautiful-bowling #KKRvCSK pic.twitter.com/SNHMAhoiBJ
— BornKaminaa (@jenishjyotijala) April 21, 2021
Mahi: mera karan aayega #CSK #KKRvCSK
— Bhoma Ram Khoth (@imkhoth45) April 21, 2021
Chal bey Russel har baar wide yorker milega kya #CSKvsKKR #KKRvCSK pic.twitter.com/niNz0gxt9G
— Half God Half Devil (@lilzeroOp) April 21, 2021
Curran bluffed Russel #KKRvCSK
— Pradhumn- CSKian (@pradhumn_pratap) April 21, 2021
Ohh!! Ohh #Russell ! For a man who can belt the ball you had to leave that one!#KKRvCSK pic.twitter.com/gnTxZ54TVj
— Nireekshith Ejardar (@TheNireekshith) April 21, 2021
Sam Curran ne Russelll ko masal diya #KKRvCSK #CSKvKKR #samcurran #Russell
— Kushra (@_Kushagra_G) April 21, 2021
That ball from Sam Curran! Amazing! Russell’s reign is over. Huge wicket. #KKRvCSK #IPL2021
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) April 21, 2021
Kadhai Kutti Singham. Always. Always. #SamCurran #KKRvCSK
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) April 21, 2021
SAM, SAM, SAM. MAKE HIS STATUE AT CHEPAUK. #CSKvKKR
— Manya (@CSKian716) April 21, 2021