Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lambasted Punjab Kings management for the decisions that they made against Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. MI made PBKS batter totter hard while chasing a target of 193. The pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee made short work of the PBKS opening batters and played a major role in reducing PBKS to 77/6. In the absence of designated skipper Shikhar Dhawan and opener Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran opened the inning for the hosts. (IPL 2024 Points Table)
After Punjab lost three wickets within the blink of an eye, Liam Livingstone was promoted in the order and sent in for the number four spot.
The decision of PBKS management didn’t go well with Harbhajan, as he slammed the management for their decisions.
“What was the point of sending Sam Curran to open? Prabhsimran got out while trying to pull. I can understand that both players got out on not-so-dangerous deliveries. Then the delivery that got Rilee Rossouw out was sensational. But then you sent Livingstone as a batter who plays the role of finisher and whenever he is the captain, he goes on no. 6 because he plays the role of finisher,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
After top batters failed to leave their mark, the uncapped Indian duo of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma raised hopes of an unprecedented comeback.
Shashank struck 41 off 25 deliveries, while Ashutosh took the game deep with his 61 off 28 deliveries.
“We have to appreciate Shashank and Ashutosh. I want to understand how this management works. They send Livingstone up in the batting order and the players who are in form, Shashank are sent afterwards. You sent Harpreet Bhatia ahead of him. If you have brought him, then you should have waited. Shashank is in good form he has already produced match-winning performances. If Sahshank and Ashutosh were not there PBKS would have fallen before 100. Ashutosh is in form and he should be promoted to the batting order. You should give youngsters an opportunity,” he added.
Recapping the match, star speedster Jasprit Bumrah’s (3/21) and Gerald Coetzee’s (3/32) influential spells, along with a scintillating 78-run knock from Surya Kumar Yadav, helped the Mumbai Indians defeat the Punjab Kings by nine runs.
MI survived an unprecedented Ashutosh (61 off 28) blitz after Suryakumar Yadav’s 78 helped the visitors post 192/7.
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