The Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Jaipur on Monday night, securing their position in the top two. Following their sad setback, the Mumbai franchise will remain fourth and face the Eliminator on Friday, May 30.
Robin Uthappa, a two-time IPL winner, expressed his thoughts on the match, which PBKS won by seven wickets. The former wicketkeeper-batter lauded the Punjab team, claiming they had regained momentum following the playoffs. According to him, the Shreyas Iyer-led side’s batting order is looking solid, despite the fact that they will be without two key players in the playoffs owing to national duty: Josh Inglis and Marco Jansen.
The 39-year-old revealed that pacer Arshdeep Singh has yet to ignite this season for Punjab Kings, but Uthappa believes in the Guna-born’s ability.
For the uninitiated, Arshdeep has taken 18 wickets in 14 games this year and is also the best wicket-taker for the Punjab Kings, which Uthappa believes is disappointing. Furthermore, he remains optimistic about the franchise’s chances of reaching the tournament’s finals.
“You want momentum at the proper time in the tournament and the right kind of push going into the playoffs. Punjab started the tournament really well, lost some steam near the end of the league round, but regained momentum right before the play-offs. Granted, they’re missing one or two players to national duty, but even within the group, the batting lineup appears to be very strong,” Uthappa told JioHotstar.
“For me, Arshdeep Singh hasn’t fired yet, which bodes good for Punjab. It suggests he’s due for a huge performance and will be ready to go in key games. “I have a strong feeling the final will be between RCB and Punjab,” the IPL 2014 Orange Cap champion said.
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