In what could be remembered as one of the most thrilling matches in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting hailed his team’s incredible spirit and resilience after they pulled off an improbable 16-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), successfully defending the lowest total ever in IPL history. Defending 112, PBKS bowled out the defending champions for 95 in 15.1 overs at Mullanpur. A phenomenal bowling effort, led by Yuzvendra Chahal and Marco Jansen, turned the tables after a poor batting performance.
“The heart rate is still up there. I’m 50 years now and don’t need more games like these,” Ponting admitted after the match.
“Defending 112, with 16 runs up our sleeves. We actually said to the guys at the halfway mark that these really small chases, like these, are sometimes the hardest,” he added.
Ponting acknowledged the nature of the wicket, which made run-scoring difficult throughout the game.
“The wicket wasn’t easy, as you can see that right through the game, it was definitely holding up,” he said.
“But what about Chahal tonight? How good a spell of bowling was that!” he added.
He revealed that Chahal was battling a shoulder injury ahead of the match and had to pass a fitness test before being cleared to play.
“He actually had a fitness test before the game today with his shoulder injury he picked up in the last game, and I grabbed him out of the warm-up and looked him in the eye and said, ‘Mate, are you okay?’ He said, ‘Coach, I am 100 per cent right, let me out there.’ Yeah, what a spell of bowling!” Ponting noted.
Despite their struggles with the bat, Ponting emphasised the pride he felt watching the team fight back with the ball.
“Even if we had lost that game, I couldn’t have been prouder of the way we went about the second half. Our batting was poor–the shot selection and execution–that was all poor. But when I saw us take the field and we got the wickets early on, what we had been lacking was a bit of belief with the ball and a bit of energy in the field, and that was there for everyone to see tonight,” he added.
He also suggested that this win could be a turning point in Punjab’s season.
“So, if we had gone down in a really close one, I would have been telling the guys that was actually a season-defining moment–and it might be now as well. To be able to dig deep and win a game like that, I reckon at the halfway mark there weren’t too many people around the world that thought that we could have defended it–and we have. Credit to all the boys. They were terrific tonight,” he added.
Ponting also spoke about the tactical changes that worked in PBKS’ favour.
“The way we changed things up with the ball, with Marco taking the first over and Bartlett taking the second. It would have only been a role for Arshdeep with the brand-new ball, but the match-ups tonight suggested that Jansen and Bartlett are better suited. So, we had to change a little bit there,” he noted.
In conclusion, the veteran coach, who has seen countless dramatic games in the IPL, acknowledged the emotional magnitude of this victory.
“Wins like these are always the sweetest ones. And if you can pull this off, then it should be as good a win as most guys have been involved in. I have coached a lot of games in the IPL, and that might just be about the best win I ever had,” he said.
Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and opted to bat first. Priyansh Arya (22 in 12 balls, with three fours and a six) and Prabhsimran Singh (30 in 15 balls, with two fours and three sixes) delivered a fiery start to PBKS with a 39-run stand. However, a powerplay spell by Harshit Rana (3/25) and some fantastic fielding from Ramandeep Singh pushed them to 54/4 at the end of the powerplay. Narine (2/14) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/21) dominated the later stages of the innings, not letting PBKS batters settle, bundling them out for 111 in 15.3 overs.
During the run-chase, PBKS bowlers put up a brilliant fight, with spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (4/28) and Marco Jansen (3/17) delivering spells that turned the match on its head. Despite fighting knocks by Angkrish Raghuvanshi (37 in 28 balls, with five fours and a six) and Andre Russell (17 in 11 balls, with a four and two sixes), KKR was bundled out for 95 in 15.1 overs, losing the match by 16 runs.
PBKS is at the fourth spot, with four wins and two losses, with eight points. KKR is at the sixth spot, with three wins and four losses, giving them six points.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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