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Two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Punjab Kings by five wickets at their home Eden Gardens Stadium on Monday. Batting first, Punjab scored 179 runs losing seven wickets in 20 overs. This score is considered good in T20 but the host team achieved this target on the last ball. In this match, that Punjab player failed miserably, on which this team spent crores of rupees. This player is Sam Curran.

Punjab had paid 18.5 crores for Sam Curran and he is the most expensive player in IPL history. Curran neither bat nor ball in this match. He could not even play a good innings and when the team expected him to take wickets, he did not take wickets but gave away runs and looted heavily.

Flop in front of Kolkata

Punjab batted first in this match. Sam Karan came to bat at number six. It was expected from him that he would make it in a stormy pace and rain fours and sixes but this left-handed batsman could not even hit a four after playing nine balls. He scored four runs and was caught by Gurbaj on the ball of Suyash Sharma. After this, it was expected that Karan would do wonders with his bowling. But this left-arm bowler failed here too.

Captain Dhawan did not even get the entire overs of his quota done. He looted 44 runs in three overs but could not take a single wicket. A total of 13 runs came in his first over. He spent 12 runs in the second over. He was thrashed fiercely in the third over. Andre Russell hit three sixes in this over. Karan got a total of 20 runs in this over.

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Good start but then fails

Sam Karan had made a good start to IPL-2023. But Karan has lost his way since the last few matches. Neither his bat is showing in color and he is doing wonders in bowling. Karan scored 55 runs against Mumbai Indians on 22 April. After this, he scored 21 runs in 11 balls against Lucknow Super Giants and took one wicket. Then against Chennai, he scored only 29 runs in 20 balls. He was able to take only one wicket in bowling.

If his performance is seen this season, then it does not seem to be according to what Punjab was expecting. So far Curran has played 11 matches this season and scored 196 runs. Karan's batting has still been fine but he has disappointed a lot in bowling. He has been able to take only seven wickets so far. His economy has been 32.43.