Punjab Kings (PBKS) have not been having the best of seasons in the Indian Premier League. In eight games this season so far, PBKS has picked up just two wins.
Adding to their woes has been the absence of skipper Shikhar Dhawan. The dashing opener had endured a shoulder injury during PBKS’s clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9, the 38-year-old has missed three matches hence.
PBKS will have to take on in-form Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Friday sans Dhawan, confirmed spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi at the pre-match press conference, but assured that Dhawan is on a recovery course and could possibly make a return in their next game against Chennai Super Kings.
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“Shikhar Dhawan was injured on the ground, we miss his batting services. He is on the road to recovery. We saw him batting at the nets. Hopefully, he is in the recovery process and will be fit for the next game,” Joshi said.
As for their opponents, KKR have won five of their 7 games so far, and are looking like one of the teams to beat this season. Sunil Joshi though feels PBKS will be ready for the challenge.
“We are not concerned about KKR spin bowling. Every cricketer who comes to IPL, which is one of the best leagues in the world, puts up a challenge. You have to accept the challenge. Whether you perform or do not perform, you have to be ready. Every day is a different day with different challenges. Your body feels differently. We feel we are ready for tomorrow,” he said.
“It’s important to understand that any team will go through wins and losses. Our focus is to rise again. This is a short format of the game, where you might get hit for a six on the best ball or you get a wicket on a loose ball.”
“It depends on how you prepare your body for the day of the game and how mentally relaxed you are. Every time you face the stress of performing, your body may not fire. You have to be calm down and play one ball at a time,” Joshi added.
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Even if KKR have lost just one out of their four games at home so far, Joshi feels the pressure will be on the home side.
“We go through a lot of stuff during our training sessions, phase-wise. One of our areas to work around is to not lose too many wickets in the middle overs. Hopefully, the pressure is now on the home team – since we are on the road again. So, we can play freely and get runs,” Joshi said.
“KKR has been performing consistently well in all three departments. Any team which covers all three departments will be on top of the table. You have to respect that. But every day, every game is a different one. Playing under home and away conditions has its scenarios and a lot of things matter. So, hopefully, it will be a good game for us tomorrow,” he added.
When asked about the form of Punjab’s overseas players, Joshi said: “We are a team. We win together or we lose together. Even if win or lose by 1 run or wicket, the team takes it head-on and moves on.”
