IPL 2021: Why Punjab Kings are destined to fail
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Punjab Kings in the IPL is like that friend of yours from the locality who is great at heart but not so good at playing the game you gather to. There is one in every group. It is a tricky situation thus. The group loves this person but would shy away from picking him. Every afternoon, when two pretend captains pick from the bunch, this person is the last in. On some other days, he is the common player. Yet, he must be chosen because he is honest and tries his best. He has some very redeemable qualities which somehow does not translate to end result.
That is roughly how IPL 2021 has been for Punjab Kings thus far. In fact, that is how the IPL as a whole has been for them. It really is a mysterious case for Punjab Kings in the IPL. No matter what they try, the outcome remains irrevocably same. They have changed players galore, changed captains the most, revamped the entire squad multiple times, and have rehired different coaching personnel. All to the same end, barring the 2014 runner-up finish.
This season, perhaps running out of changes to make, they have gone the Delhi way in rechristening themselves. We call the erstwhile Kings XI Punjab, the Punjab Kings now. However, their fate seems to have taken the same highway to disappointment. Of their three opening matches in the IPL this season, they have lost two and won one. Even the game they won, had a little bit of luck attached to it.
This begs the question – what has gone wrong again? The franchise seems to have done their best in creating stability around their squad. Same coaches, same captain and same core group of players for the second consecutive season. The gaps, however, have not been filled by Punjab Kings. The same pressing questions as last time, need answering despite a mini auction affording space and opportunity to plug existing holes.
Punjab Kings lack all rounders
Not so long ago, there was an infamous tweet about bits and pieces players. The fact that tweet was misdirected and misplaced has been proven multiple times since. In T20 cricket especially, the breed of all-rounders who contribute a little to all causes assumes paramount importance.
In the IPL, nearly all teams have this kind of players in their teams. The ones who connect the batting to the bowling by batting a bit towards the end and bowling a few overs when required. They are crucial to the balance of a successful T20 team.
Chennai Super Kings have Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Mumbai Indians have Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya. SunRisers Hyderabad have Jason Holder, Abhishek Sharma, Mohamemd Nabi and Vijay Shankar. Royal Challengers Bangalore have Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian, Glenn Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed. Delhi Capitals have Axar Patel, Chris Woakes, Marcus Stoinis and Tom Curran. Rajasthan Royals have Chris Morris, Rahul Tewatia and even Riyan Parag. Unfortunate for them that Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer got injured. Kolkata Knight Riders have Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine and Ben Cutting.
Punjab Kings, meanwhile, are looking deep into their reserves and scratching at surfaces to find someone of the ilk. Chris Jordan is the closest they have but he is yet to get a game. In their last game, their lead spinner was dropped to accommodate Jalaj Saxena who tried his best. But the IPL is quickly moving past its initial years where every team had an outstanding story of obscurity to stardom.
The problem herein for Punjab Kings is that they cannot really field their best available all-rounder without sacrificing a foreign player from either the top order or the bowling department. In either case, they weaken one leg of their attack.
Lack of finishers
This is the effect of the causation laid bare in the previous point. The lack of a pedigreed all-rounder has meant Punjab Kings lack a proper finisher. Cricketer Shahrukh Khan has been deployed the role but it is clear that the franchise still does not trust him with sole responsibility.
Thus, Nicholas Pooran – one of the best T20 players in the game – bats at number 5. Pooran is a game changer but there is little game left to change by the time he walks out to bat. Worst still, it is a new role for him, and he will need time to find his footing. Time is precisely what Punjab Kings do not have.
The reason for Pooran’s new role is that Chris Gayle occupies the number 3 slot. At number 4, Deepak Hooda bats because there is a certain fear of having Hooda and Khan as the two finishers. One is inexperienced and the other is unconverted potential. Punjab are thus having to create new problems in trying to solve old ones.
Even in their bowling department, Punjab Kings perhaps do not possess a pair of death bowlers they can wholeheartedly trust. Mohammed Shami is their most experienced bowler. But Shami himself would be the first to admit that death bowling is not his natural suit. He is a seam bowler by trade who loves a bit of reverse swing. He isn’t really a T20 specialist.
Perhaps Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson are. But, there has been little positive outcome from their end too. In search of resources, Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul has thus adopted a defensive approach in his leadership.
KL Rahul’s self-imposed caution
That caution in Rahul’s leadership has seemingly percolated to his batting too. In their defeat to Delhi Capitals, Rahul scored 61 runs off 51 balls at a strike rate under 120. In today’s age, these innings hardly win you games when the score is around 200. There is, of course, the caveat that through most of his innings, Mayank Agarwal was playing the aggressor. However, that is no condition for Rahul to self-sedate to this extent.
In fact, there was a game against Rajasthan Royals last season when 223 runs posted by Punjab Kings were chased down with 3 balls to spare. Mayank Agarwal scored 106 runs off 50 balls and Rahul scored 69 runs off 54 balls. To put the innings into context, with Rahul, Punjab King’s innings strike rate was 185.83. Without Rahul, Punjab King’s innings strike rate would be 233.33 runs per 100 balls.
Thus, while Rahul’s approach is fetching him plenty of runs, it is perhaps hurdling his team’s cause. This is not to say Rahul is self-sabotaging his team, but that Rahul has created a scenario wherein he strongly feels his role is to play the anchor and bat till the end. He has adopted this defensive role because he perhaps does not trust his lower order to bat the final 10 balls of the innings.
However, it would, perhaps serve his team well if he reverts to batting the way he can. Rahul is not of the Ajinkya Rahane ilk where he does not have the big-hitting game. Rahul is as natural a six-hitter as any in this country. A very natural stroke-maker who can effortlessly score T20 centuries. In fact, in the same IPL – last season – Rahul struck a 69-ball 132 against RCB. That is an exhibition of how dangerous a free-flowing Rahul can be.
Perhaps somebody needs to remind him of this. However, the issue is, Rahul himself is the captain of Punjab Kings and if he has designated himself cautious anchor, that is perhaps how he will play throughout the season.
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Arinjay Ghosh
(77 Articles Published)