“With the kind of squad that we had, we needed to be in the top half of the table” - PBKS batting coach Wasim Jaffer 

Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) batting coach Wasim Jaffer reckons that with the kind of talent they had in their squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, they should have been in the top half of the points table. The former India opener admitted that Punjab underperformed in a rather disappointing fashion.

PBKS were knocked out of IPL 2023 following a four-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday, May 19. The Shikhar Dhawan-led side won only six and lost eight of their 14 matches.

In a post-match press conference, Jaffer reflected on yet another poor season for Punjab Kings in the IPL. He commented:

“It has been a disappointing season without a doubt. With the kind of squad that we had, we needed to be in the top half of the table. We have definitely underperformed. We should have won a couple of tight ones. But like I said in the preview also, the batting and bowling hasn’t clicked together. That was the case throughout.”

Asked to elaborate on what went wrong for PBKS in IPL 2023, Jaffer lamented the lack of consistency in both the batting and bowling departments.

The 45-year-old said:

“Sometimes, the bowling has let us down. Initially, the batting wasn’t clicking together. I don’t want to get into the nitty-gritties, but we have not played that perfect game apart from that Delhi game, where we won by 30-odd runs. Every game was a tight one - whether we won or lost. There’s no excuses. We underperformed.”

After a 31-run win over Delhi, Punjab Kings ended their IPL 2023 campaign with losses to Delhi (15 runs) and Rajasthan.

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“We didn’t live up to expectations as a bowling unit” - Jaffer

Speaking specifically about the team’s bowling, the former India cricketer admitted that the department did not perform to expectations.

Jaffer elaborated:

‘We play in Mohali, which has very batting-friendly conditions; it’s tough for the bowlers. But still, the kind of bowling attack we had, especially fast bowlers and even spinners, we should have bowled better in certain conditions. We didn’t live up to expectations as a bowling unit.”

Arshdeep Singh claimed 17 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 29, while Nathan Ellis picked up 13 scalps in 10 games. Sam Curran managed only 10 wickets in 14 games, while Kagiso Rabada ended IPL 2023 with seven wickets in six games.