Ravichandran Ashwin the reason behind KXIP’s performance, says Harsha Bhogle
Harsha Bhogle has stated that Kings XI Punjab’s skipper Ravichandran Ashwin is the reason behind the team punching above their weight, although they seem weaker on paper. He also suggested that all-rounders Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya should bat higher up the order for Mumbai Indians.
Kings XI Punjab have played six matches so far, and have won four out of them, thereby, the Mike Hesson-coached side
“They aren't the strongest team on paper and so a lot of credit must go to the captain. It must help Ashwin that he is bowling really well and remember, he now has a year's experience to figure out what is right. So, from being the team that made up the numbers, Kings XI is now the team that others are watching,” said Bhogle, reported TOI.
The Kings started exceedingly well in the previous year’s edition with five wins in their first six matches, but lost steam as they could only manage one win in the remaining matches, and ended up at the seventh position on the table. They will be hoping that this year is not a repeat of the previous one, as pointed out by Bhogle.
“It is that stage in the tournament when the Kings XI have the opportunity to bury what happened last year. With the kind of start they have had, they have a great chance of qualifying,” he remarked.
Against Chennai Super Kings, the team failed to chase down 161, despite having seven wickets in hand, but they came back strongly against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the next match and chased down 151 with one ball remaining. However, it’s their bowling that has made opponents take note of them, despite the fact that Ashwin has always gone ahead with only five bowlers, including the all-rounders. Bhogle did not fail to credit the team’s bowling, led by the skipper, who has the highest seven wickets to his name, followed by Sam Curran and Mohammed Shami with six wickets each.
“After an insipid chase against CSK, they pulled themselves over the line against SRH but more importantly, they are bowling well and that is often the more important attribute,” stated the 57-year-old.
The Kings will take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium today. Bhogle opined that hard-hitting all-rounder Kieron Pollard should be sent up the order, given that he is back in form. After failing in his first three innings, the all-rounder has played two unbeaten and quickfire innings of 17 and 46, lower down the order. The Trinidad and Tobago player bailed out MI after all the batsmen were out cheaply, and smashed 37 runs in the last two overs, in a low scoring encounter.
"I wonder if Mumbai Indians would want to look at their batting order anew. Kieron Pollard is beginning to show the form that makes him so dangerous so if he can have more time, he can win them a few games. I have always thought that being labelled a finisher has prevented him from doing more. On a good surface like the Wankhede Stadium, even number four might be worthwhile,” suggested the IIM, Ahmedabad graduate.
Hardik Pandya has also made a strong case for himself, after being away from the game for a considerable period of time. Against Chennai Super Kings, the all-rounder smashed 25 off 8 deliveries and even scalped three wickets. He even played cameos with that bat in two more matches, where he hit blasted 32 and 31 off 14 and 19 deliveries respectively. The all 25-year-old all-rounder forms the core of the Indian team, and Bhogle feels that MI should rejig their batting order so that the valuable player gets a chance to stay longer at the crease.
“And I foresee Hardik Pandya batting more. He is far too valuable to be playing cameos. Sometimes when players are very good at something, they keep getting more of the same. Because he is such an explosive player, Hardik keeps getting that role. But he is good enough to play as a pure batsman in this format and I hope to see more of him at number 5," said Bhogle.
Given that the cash-rich league is played during the peak of Indian summer, and most of the matches take place in the evening, they very frequently get affected by dew. Bowlers find it very difficult to bowl with a wet ball, and the batsmen end up getting an unfair advantage. The cricket analyst singled out the match between KXIP and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, where the bowlers were left frequently wiping the ball with the towel, due to the dew on the field in Mohali.
"And I hope dew doesn't become a factor. It just takes away the contest between bat and ball and makes all pre-match planning futile. Like it did in the game between Kings XI and SRH. There is far too much riding on the outcome of games in a tournament of the stature of the IPL. Any scientists out there with a solution? You will be more valuable than you are probably aware!," Bhogle concluded.
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