Hello Friends,
IPL 2026 has reached its conclusive phase where out of the ten teams only three are now fighting for that coveted trophy. It was another exciting season where once again we had to wait till the last day of the league phase to get to know the top four. Though debatable but it's fair to say that IPL is slowly becoming a batters' only tournament where the bowlers' struggles are clearly visible courtesy batter friendly pitches & the rules of the game. Still the appreciation is deserved by some of the bowling units who were able to demonstrate a collective effort to take their respective teams forward. Bowling groups of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans & Sunrisers Hyderabad have done exceptionally well considering how some of their counterparts have struggled throughout the tournament.
This season of IPL had everything that the previous seasons have offered too. But still one particular team and their journey throughout the tournament was much talked about. If during the first half of the tournament everybody were going ga-ga over their performances second half of the tournament saw them going through an irreparable slide which ultimately led to their elimination from the league phase. Punjab Kings' journey this year was a roller coaster in truest sense. Their downward slide towards the fag end of the tournament had plenty of lessons not only for a sporting team but also for life. This month's Sports Talk Of The Month covers their exciting journey since beginning of the last season and an eventual downfall that probably was overlooked at the start.
Batters' Paradise Or Bowlers' Graveyard
Despite all the talks surrounding the tournament being too much batter friendly one fact can't be denied that in the history of this tournament no team has won the championship with a weak bowling attack or an under performing bowling unit. But somehow this fact was taken for granted by the Punjab based franchise and they paid the price for the same. They had one of the most destructive batting groups of the tournament and they lived upto that reputation fairly for most part of the tournament. But what was not taken seriously was their inability to defend even 200+ totals on most of the occasions. During the initial part of the tournament this year they got the opportunity to bat second in most of the matches and courtesy a strong batting unit on flat pitches they were able to manage daunting chases multiple times including a record breaking 265 against Delhi Capitals.
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| Arshdeep & Jansen could not live up to the expectations |
But what was always overlooked amid those run fests was their bowlers' inability to execute their plans when the batters went on a rampage. Bowlers from all the teams went for plenty. Even at some stage questions were raised by experts regarding the conservative use of spinners by respective captains. But in Punjab's case their bowling unit struggled to execute their plans even on some of the helpful pitches for bowlers. On paper they had a fairly decent bowling attack which consists of three big names - India's highest T20I wicket taker Arshdeep Singh, IPL'S highest wicket taker Yuzvendra Chahal and South Africa's promising left arm pacer Marco Jansen. Each one of them is capable of destroying the opposition batting on their own. At the same time they had able support from fellow bowlers like Bartlett, Vysakh, Stoinis and few others. But end of the day they failed collectively as a bowling group.
Infact it was more or less the same bowling unit that performed last year and took the team to the final. But this year from the beginning they seemed off colour. A cricket team wins a major tournament only when they excel in all three departments of the game. But in Punjab's case they under performed in two of those and that also consistently. Whom to blame? Certainly it's not one man's fault. IPL is a long tournament. That's why it tests players' fitness to the extreme. In a tournament like this performance fatigue is bound to come. But it's the responsibility of the team management to manage that cautiously ensuring that all the players are at their best both mentally & physically throughout the tournament.
Also not to forget that this year IPL started just after the conclusion of the T20 World cup. Hence the fatigue among the players was inevitable. That was the case with all other teams as well who had players coming back from a World cup. It's fair to say that the team management could have done lot better in this aspect. Possibly rotating some of the bowlers and giving the front line bowlers a much needed break could have worked in their favour too.
Another aspect of their bowling woes can be contributed to their way of using premier spinner Chahal. There is no doubt with regards to his skills & temperament. But unfortunately captain or team management couldn't show that confidence on his abilities this season. It's a fact that he has gone for runs like some of his counterparts. But because of that he was not given to fulfil his quota of four overs most of the times specially when the seamers were struggling outright had no justification. When you appoint a spinner of Chahal's calibre by paying a hefty amount you have to trust his abilities and give him full backing. Not to forget majority of his IPL cricket he has played either in Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru or Wankhede stadium in Mumbai both of which are known as high scoring venues. Hence for him to get attacked by the batters is not new. He is well equipped to make a comeback. Team management's faith could have produced better results for both Chahal and the team.
A Nightmare For Fielders
Catches win you matches is one of the age old sayings in cricket irrespective of the format. But it seemed like Punjab Kings players completely forgot that throughout the season. They were pathetic on the field. Again it's not one or two players who floundered on the field, rather the entire team at different times. There is no excuse here. Fielding is an integral part of T20 cricket. If some great field work can shift the momentum in a team's favour awful work can deteriorate their chances too. Punjab team was the victim of the second aspect this season. Dropping crucial catches and leaking unnecessary runs have cost them dearly. Not to forget dropping catches on multiple occasions can affect the bowlers' confidence big time. No doubt fielding played a crucial part in deciding the team's fate.
Considering all these players have played enough T20 cricket across the globe on different types of grounds light effect, ground dimensions or any other excuse in this regard can't be accepted. It was a sheer act of lack of discipline. Whether the initial success created some sort of complacency among the players or not is a matter of debate. But no doubt that fielding will be one of the top agendas when their management sits for a review of the season.
At times it happens with most of the teams. Pressure of the match situation, fitness issue to any particular player or any such factor could work behind fielding lapses. But that can't go on for the entire season. And if that's happening then it's a serious concern which calls for accountability from all the players as well as support staffs who were in charge of monitoring the progress. Right now it seems like the accountability should be asked from most of the players for the disappointing show. If any tough calls are taken then we might see Punjab Kings management ringing in some changes during the mini auction before next season.
Selections To Be Called Out
Apart from individual players team management should also be held accountable for some of the decisions taken during the tournament this year. Despite below par bowling performances some of the personnel changes came too late into the season. Introducing players like Omarzai or Harpreet Brar towards the end of the tournament was not a smart move at all. Their inclusion in the playing eleven in some of the earlier matches could have brought a freshness to the bowling attack by allowing the other bowlers the much deserved break. Chahal's under utilization was definitely questionable. What was the challenge that was restricting quality bowlers like Arshdeep or Jansen to perform at their best? What sort of support has been given by the bowling coach or any other available consultant for that matter to the struggling individuals? All such questions should be answered to come to a conclusion with respect to this debacle.
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| Shreyas-Ponting combination could not replicate success of last season |
It was surprising that when the chips were down not even a single player could raise hands and played a crucial role in changing the fortunes of the team. And that list includes even the captain who though was phenomenal once again for his leadership as well as batting. His positive attitude even during the dull phases was something to cheer for and again reinstates the fact that he is the right person to lead this team. Though his match winning hundred in their last league fixture was a big relief but it came too late. The team environment should also be questioned during the consecutive losses. Ideally all facets of the game should be considered before coming to any conclusion rather than just pin pointing one or two individuals.
Hopefully the owners & team management would sit for a thorough review of the proceedings shortly and take corrective measures to go one step ahead of their last season's performance to lift that coveted trophy. That should be the biggest gift for their loyal fans.
That's all for now. Stay tuned here for IPL related more posts in the coming days.
Image Credit:
Arshdeep: Storm machine, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Jansen: Storm machine, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Shreyas Iyer: Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Ponting: Tourism Victoria, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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