IPL 2021: “Punjab Kings keep repeating same mistakes” – Sunil Gavaskar

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for not learning from their past mistakes and repeating them.

The former India captain came down heavily on the KL Rahul-led unit for losing their match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Punjab needed 10 runs off 15 balls at one stage with eight wickets in hand.

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In his column for The Times of India, Sunil Gavaskar wrote:

“Punjab once again made a mess of a chase and lost a match they should have won. Despite all talk of learning from past mistakes, the same errors of last year in UAE were repeated to give Rajasthan a win that three overs earlier looked highly unlikely.”

Sunil Gavaskar emphasized the importance of partnerships, throwing light on how it becomes the responsibility of the other batter to carry on batting after losing his settled partner.

“It’s important even in this ultra-short format of the game that after a good partnership, the batter, who is at the crease after his partner gets out, has to ensure that he carries on batting without taking too many chances, even as the new batter at the crease settles in. Punjab, last year, got great starts as they did in the game against Rajasthan, but then when the opening partnership was broken, the other partner got out fast,” Sunil Gavaskar added.

In KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, the PBKS have two of the most successful openers. However, all four of their century opening stands since IPL 2020 have resulted in losses as they find little support from the middle-order.

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PBKS lets games drift away with non-regular bowlers: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar also stated that PBKS have let matches slip away by allowing the momentum to shift with bowling part-timers at crucial junctures. In a major surprise, KL Rahul introduced Deepak Hooda as the first change bowler against RR, who was plundered for 37 runs off his two overs.

“Punjab keep trying non-regular bowlers, who go for 15 or 20 runs, and that changes the rhythm and momentum of the game completely,” Sunil Gavaskar further wrote.

“Punjab will take heart from the fact that Hyderabad are stuck at the bottom of the table, and if they get their team selection right, then they could still turn things around.”

PBKS will face bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Sharjah on Saturday (September 25).