IPL 2019 | We have lacked in powerplays this year, says Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin has said that Kings XI Punjab have lacked in the powerplays this year. KXIP lost the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday as both their openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle were dismissed within the powerplay whereas the bowlers leaked over 60 runs in the second innings.
Kings XI Punjab were put to bat first by Kolkata Knight Riders in Friday’s encounter but they failed to get going as the openers were dismissed cheaply and they stood at 41 for two at the end of the first six overs. However, they went to score 183 due to the exploits of the middle order. But once again the powerplay came to haunt them as Chris Lynn had blasted 46 runs in 22 balls before being dismissed in the final delivery of the sixth over. In the entire season of this year’s Indian Premier League, the KXIP openers have crossed the 40-run mark only four times in 13 innings whereas the bowlers have leaked runs at an average of 57 in the first six overs.Â
This match summed up their entire season, as pointed out by the skipper Ravichandran Ashwin.
"One of the areas we have definitely lacked this year is the powerplay, both with bat and ball," he said at the post-match press conference, reported Cricbuzz.
KXIP tend to rely heavily on their top two as their middle order lacks experience. The side was more or less knocked out of the tournament after this loss and the skipper suggested to fix the chunks in their armour before the next season.
"Last year we had great powerplay batting with Chris and KL, but this year we couldn't get off to great starts because obviously the pressure was on them and they had to do the job. We have to address this going into the next year because we have lost most games on powerplay battles,” expressed the 32-year-old.
All-rounder Sam Curran hit his first ever fifty of the tournament and has shown promise with both the bat and the ball as he has also taken seven wickets while Mohammed Shami has been the side’s standout bowler with 17 wickets. The skipper did not fail to credit the duo for their match-winning performances this season.
"We won most games this season through the middle overs or sometimes at the death through some incredible performances from the likes of Shami or Sam Curran," explained the India off-spinner.