Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) stand-in captain Sam Curran heaped praise on all-rounder Sikandar Raza and batter Shahrukh Khan for their match-winning performances against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 clash in Lucknow on Saturday, April 15.

Raza’s 57 off 41 balls and Shahrukh’s unbeaten 10-ball 23 guided the Kings to a nail-biting two-wicket win over LSG at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.

 “Amazing win. I thought our spinners bowled nicely. A bit of dew came in but the wicket was offering a little for the bowlers. The way Sikandar Raza played was brilliant. And the way Shahrukh finished it, that's what he's in our team to do. His role has been clear on our side. Players who can hit sixes from ball one are dangerous. You go from ground to ground - different dimensions - have to come up with different gameplans. We've got so many options which is lovely to have as a captain. I've never done it before. Hopefully, Shikhar will be fit soon,” Curran said at the post-match presentation.

Earlier, Curran picked up three wickets on his captaincy debut to help the Kings restrict the Super Giants to 159/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Interestingly, the 24-year-old England cricketer registered the best bowling figures of 4-0-31-3 on IPL captaincy debut.

For the hosts, skipper KL Rahul was the standout batter as scored 74 off 56 balls, laced with eight fours and one six.

Having returned to winning ways, the Kings have jumped to the fourth spot in the IPL 2023 standings with six points from five matches.

The PBKS outfit will look to continue their winning momentum when they square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their upcoming IPL 2023 clash at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, April 20