Jaipur: On a blistering Sunday afternoon, Sawai Mansingh Stadium was a furnace. Despite the temperature soaring past 40°C, Punjab Kings played with a cool defiance, clinching a thrilling 10 runs victory over Rajasthan Royals. Later in the night, the result of the game between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans, where the latter registered a 10-wicket win, saw three teams including Punjab seal a playoff berth.Currently third with 17 points from 12 matches, PBKS are targeting a top-two finish. The victory against Royals strengthens their position, with their final two games, against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, set to be played in Jaipur, their unexpected third home venue this season.Punjab posted a towering 219/5, a total that left Royals reeling. Nehal Wadhera, the young sensation, lit up the arena with a scorching 70 off 37 balls. Partnering with the steady Shreyas Iyer, they crafted a 67-run stand off 44 balls, turning the tide in Punjab’s favor.Head coach Ricky Ponting lauded the team’s all-round show. “What you did was manage to put pressure back on them straight away. You have to do that in this format, right? You had a great partnership with Shreyas. I actually said to him at one of the timeouts that because you’re so good, you can find a way to score runs, be out there in a partnership, and you ended up putting on 67 off 44 balls,” he said during the dressing room conversation after the match, the video of which was shared by the official Punjab Kings’ handle on Instagram Monday.Shashank Singh, Punjab’s rock, stood tall with an unbeaten 59 off 30. “Shashank, awesome again. Every time you have been confronted with something in the tournament, you have found a way to get it done,” Ponting declared, his words a nod to Shashank’s grit.The head coach shared that left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar and leg-spinner Praveen Dubey have bowled more than anybody in the last eight weeks. Interestingly, Brar’s outing against Royals was his fifth, while Dubey is yet to debut for Punjab.Brar delivered a spell of 22-3 in four overs, dismantling the Royals’ top order and Ponting was generous in his praise. “You and Dubey have bowled more than anybody here over the last eight weeks. You put in the hard work, you get a chance, and it yields results. So, personally, all your teammates and coaches couldn’t be happier that you got the chance to make an impact, and you made an impact by registering figures of 3/22 in 4 overs and grabbing all the big wickets.Well done!” Ponting beamed.
Couldn’t be happier that you got the chance to make an impact: Ponting on Harpreet | Jaipur News
