Mullanpur, April 22: Sports persons from Punjab are strong, fierce competitors and they believe in making a bold statements with their performances or comebacks.
However, in Indian Premier League (IPL), Punjab franchise (Punjab Kings) have never won the title. They have dazzled in patches, but have not been consistent.
They don't enter the play-offs more frequently. They do have good players, great captains and very supportive management, but somehow, things have not been smooth for them so far in last 16 seasons of IPL.
This season too, they have played 8 matches and have managed only two wins. Can they bounce back and book a berth in the play-offs?
Well, Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast Bowling coach Charl Langeveldt thinks so. After losing to Gujarat Titans on Sunday, former South African pacer turned coach Langeveldt said that his side still have the belief to make a comeback after they slumped to their sixth loss in the IPL 2024.
PBKS went down by 3 wickets against Gujarat Titans (GT) in on Sunday at the new PCA Stadium. After winning the toss and batting first the Kings posted a modest total of 142. The Kings bowling unit showcased their fighting spirit and pushed the match to the final over.
"It was a disappointing result. The players showed a lot of character with the ball and on the field. You still have to have that belief. We have a positive side. There is a lot to play. We just need to win," Langeveldt said.
The stand-in skipper Sam Curran and Prabhsimran began well for Punjab with the bat, hammering a score of 50 plus in the powerplay overs. Langeveldt credited the openers for returning to form on the night but admitted his side fell short by a few runs.
"We had a good powerplay with the bat. But in the middle period, their spinners had too much quality for our batters and we struggled. We just needed the middle order to get We were probably 20-30 runs short on that wicket," he said.
Curran echoed remarks and praised the bowling unit for their fighting performance, while also admitting his side fell a few runs short on the night. "The effort with the ball was incredible, and the commitment and fight were amazing. Anything above 160 would have been a par total but we still fought well. Prabhsimran played well in the powerplay but unfortunately, we lost a cluster of wickets after that. Now we know what to do, we have to win every game," said Curran.
Punjab will now return on the road and will make their way to Eden Gardens, Kolkata to face off against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Langeveldt believes that their batters will be eager to get on more batting-friendly surfaces.
"In Mullanpur, it was the same wicket as the last few games. It did not turn as much, but it just hauled up in the wicket. So, it made it hard for batters as the ball was stopping. Ahead of our next game, as we get on the road, our batters are going to be happy about the next venue. We want to improve and put more runs on the board. It will help in increasing our confidence going into the last few games," he said.
Langeveldt added that Punjab's bowlers will also have to maintain their intensity on high-scoring grounds to ensure they get good results. "But it also means that our bowlers will also need to step up as well on high-scoring grounds.
"We need to look forward. It will be a good challenge for the bowlers to be on the road. Even if we have a good or bad game, we always want to improve by 5 percent. We will take every game as a must-win for us now," he signed off.
Langeveldt may be very optimistic. But if PBKS have to bounce back and make it into the play-offs, they have to be ruthless and consistent from their next match. Otherwise, it may just be yet another year of patchy performances and disappointments. (With IANS support)
