Home
Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting coach Wasim Jaffer has not been left impressed with the performance of his team and believes that they had the ability to finish in the top half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 table because of the ability of the squad. A loss to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) eliminated them from the playoff race on Friday in Dharamshala, ensuring that the side failed to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
In the 2023 IPL auction, PBKS broke the bank to make Sam Curran the costliest player in the history of the auction. In addition to signing the 2022 T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, they also had Shikhar Dhawan as their skipper, Englishman Liam Livingstone as well as Kagiso Rabada. However, defeats in the last two games meant that PBKS ended the campaign with 12 points in 14 matches.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Jaffer said that PBKS should have been in the top half of the table with the squad they had. "Disappointing season, without a doubt. With the kind of squad we had, we should have been in the top half of the table. We have definitely underperformed.
He added that the batting and bowling departments had not clicked, which made the campaign disappointing. "We should have won a couple of tight ones. But, like I said in the preview also, the batting and bowling hasn't clicked together. So that has been the case throughout. It has been a disappointing season," said Jaffer.
"Bowling has sometimes let us down. Initially, the batting wasn't clicking together. It hasn't clicked together. I don't want to get into the nitty-gritties but we have not played that perfect game apart from that Delhi game, which we won by 30-odd runs. Every game was a tight one, whether we won or lost. So we didn't play that perfect game and no excuses. We underperformed," the former India cricketer opined.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
IPL 2023 Playoffs: What do RR and MI need to make it to the next round?
Shane Watson blasts DDCA for 'exposing DC's batting', Delhi Cricket Board says, 'BCCI told us...'
