Punjab Kings’ bowling coach James Hopes is staying positive about their chances of making the IPL final for the first time in 11 years, even after a rough outing in the first qualifier. He just wants his players to remain confident as they gear up for their next chance at the title. Having been on top during the league with their strong and aggressive style, they faced a tough loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who beat them by eight wickets on Thursday.
Now, they have another shot to secure a spot in the final by winning the second qualifier on Sunday. The worst thing our batters can do is second-guess themselves, Hopes said after the defeat. He noted that they started off okay but then things spiraled down quickly. We need to move on from this by tonight because we have to travel tomorrow and get ready for another game on Sunday. We’re going to have to work hard now.
Hopes is hopeful they might meet RCB again on Tuesday night in the final. The pitch seemed to favor the fast bowlers, and PBKS tried to push hard, which led to their collapse. RCB’s leg-spinner Suyash Sharma gave them trouble with his sharp deliveries, especially after Josh Hazlewood’s performance.
We didn’t have a great night with the bat, but we have two days to prepare for another match, and we have to earn that opportunity, he said. He believes the pitch in Ahmedabad will favor the batters more this time. Historically, it’s a good pitch, and we know we need to score quickly. We’ve worked hard for this chance and we want to make it count, Hopes emphasized.
After bowling PBKS out for just 101 in 14.1 overs, RCB chased down the target in just 10 overs, thanks to a fast fifty from Phil Salt, who scored 56 runs off 27 balls.
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