IPL 2024 season continues to remain terrible for Punjab Kings (PBKS) as the team faced their fifth defeat against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday and are placed second last on the IPL 2024 points table with 4 points. Chasing a target of 193 at the Mohali stadium, PBKS’s batting order collapsed against the pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee. While much has been said about the terrific bowling by MI pacers, India’s veteran star Harbhajan Singh spoke about technical blunders committed by Punjab Kings.
While analyzing the PBKS vs MI match on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan Singh slammed Punjab’s stand-in skipper Sam Curran for his on-field decisions. The veteran spinner asked why Sam Curran came to open, and Liam Livingstone, who is well-known as a finisher came to bat on number 4.
“What was the point of sending Sam Curran to open? Prabhsimran got out while trying to pull. I can understand that both players got out on not-so-dangerous deliveries. Then the delivery that got Rilee Rossouw out was sensational. But then you sent Livingstone as a batter who plays the role of finisher and goes on No. 6 because he plays the role of finisher,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma’s rescue innings
Punjab Kings lost its first four batters on a low score of 14 runs as Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee clinched two wickets each to decimate Punjab’s top order. The uncapped Indian duo of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma came to the rescue of the Punjab Kings and gave some scare to the MI bowlers.
Harbhajan Singh praised Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma’s batting under pressure and said that Punjab’s innings would have been over before 100 runs without their contribution. “We have to appreciate Shashank and Ashutosh. I want to understand how this management works. They send Livingstone up in the batting order and the players who are in form, Shashank are sent afterwards. You sent Harpreet Bhatia ahead of him. If you have brought him, then you should have waited,” he said.
“Shashank is in good form he has already produced match-winning performances. If Shashank and Ashutosh were not there PBKS would have fallen before 100. Ashutosh is in form and he should be promoted to the batting order. You should give youngsters an opportunity,” Harbhajan Singh added.
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Published: 19 Apr 2024, 04:54 PM IST