Punjab Kings bowler Arshdeep Singh celebrates taking the wicket of Mandeep Singh during the IPL T20 match between KKR and Punjab Kings at PCA Cricket Stadium, Mohali on Saturday, April 01, 2023. Photo Credit: Moorthy RV
Punjab Kings begin their Indian Premier League 2023 campaign with a 7 run win (via DLS method) against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on 1st April.
Punjab ended their innings with a score of 191/5, setting KKR a huge target to chase. Young Arshdeep, with his flamboyant heroics, turned the match in favor of the team. His 3/19 shifted the momentum towards Punjab in the second innings, allowing the Kings to take control of the Knights for most of the innings.
KKR were restricted to 146/7 in 16 overs and the match was decided by DLS method before rain intervened. Arshdeep’s aggression on the pitch has been a major factor in his consistency over the past two years. Even against KKR, he got his former teammate Anukul Roy out at the death after taking his wicket.
“He was my batch mate in under-19 cricket. He started hitting me straight. So, I wanted to show aggression. He was getting aggressive and wanted to counter me. So I responded to his charge with my aggression. Gave.” Mr. Arshdeep said after the match.
Mr. Arshdeep once again showed his bowling skills by bowling the yorker with precision. However, they also relied on bouncers to get timely breakthroughs and derail KKR’s chase.
“My opponents expected me to bowl yorkers. So, I tried to surprise them a bit by bowling bouncers. It was raining all around and the wicket had become slippery. So, I was just using the terms on offer. Was. I am enjoying myself and the atmosphere in the dressing room is very good. Going forward, we will try to keep enjoying the game and keep winning. (On captain Shikhar Dhawan) They have created a very good atmosphere for us in the dressing room and we are loving it,” said Mr. Arshdeep.
Punjab’s aggression on the pitch was not limited to Mr Arshdeep alone. PBKS captain Shikhar Dhawan emphasized on how Punjab wanted to be aggressive on the pitch but were wary of being smart at the same time.
“Wanted to be aggressive and smart at the same time. I was trying to hold one end and the idea was that if I get out, someone else will take over. We have a lot of youngsters in our squad and they are still Learning. We are all living our dreams and should be happy about it. As a leader, I try to ensure that the team is relaxed and in a happy state of mind,” Mr Dhawan said during the match. said after.
After a winning start to their IPL campaign, Punjab Kings will be back in action against Rajasthan Royals on April 5 at the Barsapara Stadium.