Home
Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by 11 runs in their opening Indian Premier League game, getting off to a fast start. On Tuesday, March 25, the enduring underachievers won handily at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad thanks to the combined efforts of captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting. After scoring 243/5 in the first innings against a squad that had five all-rounders, the Kings successfully defended the total by limiting Shubman Gill's GT by 11 runs. While coach Ponting's tactical masterclass ensured that Punjab kept things under control against the raging Jos Buttler in the second innings, captain Shreyas Iyer was the standout batsman.
Iyer praises Vyshak
Up until the 14th over of the match, GT had done everything correctly while chasing 244 at home. After the powerplay, they scored more than 11 runs per over and amassed 169 runs for two wickets. They had Sherfane Rutherford and Jos Buttler at the crease, and they were not letting the fast bowlers get away with anything. Rutherford was unaware of the angles that Vyshak was generating from over the wicket, so Ponting used the former RCB fast bowler as the Impact Sub and set him loose on him.
Jansen and Vyshak sucked the life out of the Gujarat innings between the 15th and the 18th over, conceding just 18 runs in 3 overs, far less than what GT were aiming for. Vyshak's strategy was straightforward: bowl full and wide to Rutherford with the field spread out on the offside.
The West Indian always tried to walk into the line and hit it through the leg side, which helped Vyshak bowl a further wide line, which, in this IPL, does not count as a wide because of the Hawk-Eye this season. Vyshak was, of course, lucky, as several of his waist-high full tosses did not count as no-balls, again because of the Hawk-Eye. Vyshak made the most of the new rules on the day, which should help him for the rest of the season. After the match, even captain Shreyas Iyer heaped massive praise on the pacer.
"With the dew coming things could change and thankfully he performed. (on Vyshak) He is a funny character. He has got traits in him where he comes in with the right attitude. He bowled the yorkers straightaway. Kept his calm and composure. Arshdeep played an important role in that (the wide yorker plan). He came in and said the ball is actually reversing a bit so the saliva on the ball is helping the bowlers a bit I guess," said Shreyas Iyer after the match
Perhaps Ponting wants to give players as many alternatives as possible in both game areas. In the event that players have bad days, this side is always a safety net. And that, along with the manner in which Ponting has assembled the team, is what makes Punjab so special this season. In the upcoming games, on the really horrible days that Punjab frequently has, we will learn more about the team. However, you must give Ponting credit for one thing: On his first day, he delivered on his promise of fearless cricket, which he had made at the beginning of the season.
