Punjab Kings’ bowling coach James Hopes urged his team’s batters not to overthink their performance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The match proved to be a disastrous one for PBKS, who were bowled out for just 101 in 14.1 overs, eventually suffering an eight-wicket loss with 60 balls remaining.
Hopes emphasized the need for a swift recovery and stressed the importance of not allowing the defeat to weigh down team morale ahead of Qualifier 2.
“We started off decently with the bat in the first over, but things quickly spiraled after that. It’s crucial that we process the loss and move on from it by tonight. We travel tomorrow [Friday], and we need to regroup for another big match on Sunday. It’s going to be a tougher road now, but hopefully, we get to face RCB again on Tuesday night [in the final],” said Hopes, as per Cricbuzz.
The former Australian all-rounder expressed confidence that PBKS could make full use of their second shot at reaching the final.
“The worst reaction our batters could have now is to panic, doubt themselves, and start seeing problems that aren’t there. Yes, we didn’t have a good day with the bat, but we’ve got a two-day window to prepare for another virtual final. We’ve put in over two months of hard work to earn this second chance, and now it’s time to capitalize on it,” Hopes added.
No drastic changes needed, insists Hopes
Hopes spoke about how the team, led by Shreyas Iyer, should ideally go about their batting approach in Ahmedabad.
“Traditionally, Ahmedabad offers a good batting surface, and we know we’ll need to be aggressive and score at a quick pace. There’s no need to go back to square one. We’ve spent two and a half months getting to this point and now it’s about making this second opportunity count,” he concluded.
After falling short in Qualifier 1, PBKS will face the winner of the Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, June 1. The Shreyas Iyer-led squad will be determined to put past mistakes behind and end their long-standing wait for an IPL title following an impressive group-stage campaign.
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