The Punjab Kings (PBKS) shocked the reigning champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with a 16-run victory on Tuesday at Mullanpur, in one of the most exciting comebacks in IPL history. Ricky Ponting, the head coach, was amazed by the fact that PBKS only managed to defend 111 runs in the game, the lowest total ever defended in the league’s history.
After losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad by failing to defend a score of 245 just three days prior, PBKS was reeling. Their fielding and bowling were questioned after the defeat. The hitters from Punjab were swept out for 111 in the match against KKR.
Prabhsimran Singh (30) and Priyansh Arya (22) contributed 39 runs in 3.1 overs as PBKS got off to a strong start after choosing to bat first. However, both Arya and Shreyas Iyer were sent back to the pavilion via double-wicket overs from Harshit Rana. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy continued to take wickets.
At 62 for 2, KKR appeared to be in good control of the chase. With eight wickets for just 33 runs, there was an amazing collapse that followed. Yuzvendra Chahal led the attack with 4 for 28, including important wickets in the middle order. Marco Jansen contributed by going 3 for 17, which included Andre Russell’s expulsion.
It was the best victory I’ve ever had and a turning point in the season. I still have a little elevated heart rate, most likely above 200. I’m over fifty now, so I don’t need many of those games. It simply proves what a hilarious game it is.
We were unable to defend 246 [245] just three days ago, and now we are defending 112 [111] with 16 runs left. In fact, we told the boys halfway through that sometimes the hardest chases are the ones that are so minor. It wasn’t a simple wicket. He told the commentator shortly after the game that “you can see right through the game it was holding up.”
The sweetest wins are often those like this one: Ricky Ponting
The former Australian captain continued by praising Chahal, the player of the moment, and saying that PBKS had made a clear strategic change, shifting the new ball from the traditional Arshdeep Singh to Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett based on matchups.
“You can probably see how we switched up the ball as well, with [Xavier] Bartlett getting the second over and Marco [Jansen] taking the first. With the new ball, Arshdeep Singh has typically played a part, but tonight’s matchups indicated that Jansen and Bartlett were more appropriate.
However, what about tonight’s [Yuzvendra] Chahal? That bowling spell was excellent! In fact, we have used it to him a little bit this week. Because of his shoulder injury from the last game, he had to do a fitness test before today’s match. I grabbed him during the warm-up, looked him in the eye, and asked, “Mate, are you okay?” “Coach, I’m completely fine, let me go out there,” he remarked. “And what a spell of bowling,” he continued.
Ponting, who observed from the sidelines as PBKS won by 16 runs after defending 111, the lowest total ever defended in IPL history, said it was the best victory in his time as an IPL coach since 2014.
However, we already stated that victories like this are always the most delightful. If we succeed, this will likely be the best victory most men have ever had. That might have been my greatest victory ever; I’ve coached a lot of IPL matches. We just mentioned that the sweetest victories are always those like this one. Ponting remarked, “If we can pull this off, it would be as good as a win most guys have probably been involved in.”
India
