PBKS Players Need to Remain Calm and Composed After Humbling Defeat

The Punjab Kings were in for a tough test in the first qualifier when Royal Challengers Bengaluru halted them at a mere 101 runs. All season long Shreyas Iyer's side had played aggressive cricket and bashed their way to the playoff berth for the first time ever since 2014. But their aspirations were shaken badly when their batting approach did not yield in this vital match. Despite getting bowled out cheaply the PBKS bowling coach James Hopes does not wish the team to alter the natural way of playing.

Hopes explained that they played the first over well but after that, it went wrong. He instructed the team to never mind this game because they have another big game to play soon. He knows that they are playing away tomorrow and then preparing for another big game this Sunday. Hopes sounded optimistic and expressed that he wants to play RCB once again in the final on Tuesday evening. He warned the PBKS batsmen that the worst thing they can do at the moment is lose their confidence and begin doubting their abilities. He advised that they should not panic or jump at shadows but stick to their natural game.

PBKS possessed the second best rate of scoring this season and they had faith in young batsmen who were selected through judicious scouting and sound auction tactics. Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer had committed these players to bat freely regardless of any situation they encountered. And that policy had served so well throughout the season. This first qualifier was one among a handful of matches where their full-blooded attacking strategy went horribly wrong. But Hopes made it very clear that they do not have to begin again from scratch.

The Pains for Punjab began when Priyansh Arya was caught at cover in the second over off Yash Dayal. Poor shot choice then saw Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer both get out rapidly. Josh Inglis also was unable to survive long and was sent packing by Josh Hazlewood's intelligent bowling. Marcus Stoinis attempted to counter-attack but was dismissed to Suyash Sharma's googly. Shashank Singh who had bailed out the side numerous times during the previous season also became a victim of a googly. Musheer Khan who was named as an impact replacement got out without opening his score after only three deliveries.

James Hopes conceded that it was not a good evening with the bat. But he informed them that they have a two-day break and another final to play. He asked everyone to remember that they had toiled for two and a half months to get this second chance and now they needed to make the best use of it. He told them the pitch in Ahmedabad where they would be playing next is batsman-friendly and they would have to play with full intensity and score runs fast. Hopes made it evident that there is no necessity to make drastic changes as they have done the hard work to reach thus far.

Hopes is convinced that attacking freely and playing without fear has brought the team to this point. He did, however, mention that they should have adapted better against RCB. He mentioned that he would have altered the bowling to employ Josh Hazlewood immediately if he had watched Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowl in the opening over because the ball was doing a little bit. He acknowledged that Punjab batsmen were a little bit negligent but he also mentioned that their counter-attacking game plan has succeeded most of the time in this season and it did not succeed today.

Now PBKS will depart from Chandigarh on Friday and travel to Ahmedabad to compete with the Eliminator winner between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans on Sunday. The players and supporters will expect that they learn from this defeat and return stronger in the next match. The key now is for the batters to remain calm and recall what has been working for them throughout the season. They do not need to make panicked decisions or question their own ability. They have proved all season that they can post big scores and beat good teams.

It was only one bad game and let's not forget all the good cricket that they played to get to the playoffs. Their aggressive approach and self-belief have been the key reasons for their success till now. So the best they can do at this point is to remain hopeful and support themselves to recover well in the next game. If they do so they can go ahead and play the final and perhaps even win the trophy.

Punjab Kings supporters will hope that their players pay attention to Hopes and remain faithful to their natural game. They will need to keep things simple and have faith in the skills that took them so far. All the batters in the team have proven that they can play big innings and snatch the game away from the rival team. They only need to recall that one poor game cannot undo all their hard work.

If they keep their minds peaceful and their spirits up there is no reason why they cannot recover in the next game. The players should not forget that cricket is a sport with ups and downs and one loss does not imply that they are not good enough. With the upcoming game close at hand the best thing they can do is just forget this loss and look ahead.

James Hopes has sent them a clear message that there is no need to panic or start doing everything new. They should do the same thing that has worked all season and be prepared to play with the same freedom and aggression which took them into the playoffs. With players like Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh and others who have the ability to play fearless cricket there is every possibility that PBKS can still reach the final.

The players and the crowd just need to have faith and just keep on supporting the players. In cricket those teams which remain calm and support their own abilities are the ones that prevail. So it is all about believing in themselves and performing the same way that they performed throughout the season for Punjab Kings. Let's see whether they are able to do that and create a huge comeback from this setback.