The match between KKR and PBKS was a nail-biter. Even Punjab coach Ricky Ponting didn’t know how to react. After PBKS won the low-scoring thriller against Ajinkya Rahane’s team, the two-time World Cup winner shared his honest thoughts on the team’s historic victory.
In the post-match interview, Ponting said this was the best win he had ever experienced as a coach. He added that even if they had lost, it still would have been a season-defining moment. Punter confidently stated that not many teams could have defended that total.
Speaking about the match, Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer’s decision to bat first didn’t go as planned. After openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh gave PBKS a solid start, things quickly fell apart. Iyer was dismissed for a duck once again, thanks to a brilliant delivery from Harshit Rana. PBKS managed only 111 runs, as the middle order struggled against the spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.
Many fans believed KKR would chase the target within 15 overs. But what followed was something no one expected. Punjab’s bowlers tore through the reigning champions’ batting lineup. The Knight Riders were bowled out for just 95 runs, and PBKS moved up to 4th place with 4 wins from 6 games.
PBKS will play their next match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on their home ground
After a historic win over KKR, Iyer’s Punjab Kings will now face an in-form RCB at their home ground. The three-time finalists comfortably won their last match against Rajasthan Royals, marking their fourth away win of the season.
Fortunately for Punjab Kings, RCB are yet to win a game at home. They were outplayed by the Gujarat Titans in their first match at Chinnaswamy. In the second, the Bengaluru bowlers put up a strong fight, but local boy KL Rahul had other plans. He scored a match-winning 93 off just 53 balls for Delhi Capitals.
In contrast to their last game, the Punjab Kings batters will relish batting on the Chinnaswamy pitch. Arya and Singh aim to capitalize on the power play, whether batting first or second. Meanwhile, RCB’s bowling has been subpar there, so they are focused on executing their plans flawlessly.