Ricky Ponting moved from DC to PBKS this edition and there were a lot of expectations about the performance of PBKS under him. This was also named as “Project Ponting” and everyone were excited to see what kind of changes he is going to bring to the franchise.
Punjab performed exceptionally well in the auction by picking the Captain of the defending champions Shreyas Iyer, the Highest wicket taker in IPL, Yuzvendra Chahal, the Highest wicket taker for India in T20I’s Arshdeep Singh and power hitters like Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, All rounders like Azmatullah Omarzai and Marco Jansen. The team looked well-balanced.
Powerful batting performance by Shreyas Iyer’s unit
In their first match they faced Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad. Shubman Gill won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first. Everyone thought Josh Inglis would open in the starting X1 due to his recent form in the Champions Trophy. But Punjab went with Stoinis, Maxwell, Omarzai and Jansen.
Prabhsimran Singh opened with Priyansh Arya. Prabhsimran got out earlier but Arya surprised everyone on his IPL debut. He didn’t use his muscle power to hit the ball rather relied on just pure timing. Priyansh Arya timing the ball was a delight to watch who played elegant shots. He owned the powerplay and dismissed for 47 runs from 23 balls.
Shreyas Iyer took charge from there. Sai Kishore put a speed break to the run rate by bowling 2 economical overs and picking both Omarzai and Maxwell in the same over. But Iyer didn’t allow the hosts to comeback in the game. He counter attacked Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan as well by smashing them down the ground to huge sixes. He didn’t show any mercy to the fast bowlers as well. He smashed 24 runs of Prasidh Krishna in the 17th over.
Siraj came to bowl the last over when Iyer was standing at the Non-Strikers end at 97*. Shashank Singh was in the strike and he didn’t think of giving strike to Iyer rather he decided to smash every ball to the boundary. He smashed 22 runs of that over and Punjab finished the innings with 243 runs at the board in 20 overs. He later told in the interview that Iyer told him to not to worry about his century and go for the big shots.
This selfless approach of putting the team’s total in front of the personal milestones seemd to be the impact of Ponting who created that Australian mindset in the dugout which is to play for the team always. This approach may not give fifties and centuries for individuals but it will gift you the trophy at the end of the tournament.
Pinpoint death over bowling by Vyshak Vijaykumar
In the second innings, GT were in a comfortable position of 152/2 in 13 overs. 244 seemed to be very much possible from there. Then Punjab introduced their impact player, Vyshak Vijayakumar. The speedster had only one plan against the left-hander Shefane Rutherford, that is to bowl wide Yorkers in the 17th over.
Vyashak bowled a few wides and full tosses while executing the plan but the Captain Shreyas Iyer remained calm and didn’t go and talk to him about anything. He just let him to execute his plan and backed him. He was ok with wides. The fast bowler conceded only 5 runs of too 3 runs came from wides, which is quite laudable. The equation got 57 to win from 3 overs, which isn’t that easily attained a task.
This mindset of sticking to the plan and backing your bowler for that is also seen as a Ricky Ponting factor. Shreyas Iyer also deserves credit for that as a captain but this sudden change in the team’s atmosphere and tactics indicates that Ponting as done something to this team. Vysashak on a batting paradise wicket, conceded 28 runs in his 3 overs is quite a decent effort.
Let’s hope Punjab could end their trophy drought in IPL under this Ricky Ponting-Shreyas era and they should end their playoff drought of 10 years in this season at least. PBKS won by 11 runs but gave a reminder to rest teams that they aren’t just participating in tournament.