IPL 2025 mein Tuesday raat ek dhamakedaar match dekhne ko mila jab Punjab Kings (PBKS) ne Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ko sirf 16 runs se hara diya. Match Chandigarh ke Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium mein khela gaya, jahan PBKS sirf 111 runs par all-out ho gayi. Lekin unki bowling ne kamaal kar diya, especially Yuzvendra Chahal ne 4 wickets le kar KKR ke batting order ko hila ke rakh diya.
Post-match press conference mein PBKS ke head coach Ricky Ponting kaafi khush nazar aaye. Jab ek reporter ne unse Glenn Maxwell ko Shreyas Iyer ki jagah no. 3 par promote karne ka suggestion diya, toh Ponting ne ek witty reply diya:
“Haan bhai, hamare paas Shreyas Iyer hai number 3 par. Agar mujhe apni job bachani hai, toh main captain ko shift nahi karne wala. Captain batting order set karta hai, aur woh number 3 par khush hai. Ab tak tournament mein uska performance bhi zabardast raha hai.”
Shreyas Iyer ne ab tak 6 matches mein 250 runs bana diye hain with a strike rate of 204.91, aur filhaal woh top 5 run-scorers mein shamil hain. Wahin Maxwell ka form ab tak thoda struggle karta nazar aaya hai — sirf 41 runs in 6 matches aur bowling mein bhi kuch khaas impact nahi raha.
Ponting ne aur bhi clarify kiya:
“Ye sirf numbers ka khel nahi hai, timing bhi matter karti hai. Hamari batting line-up mein flexibility hai, lekin jaise jaise tournament aage badh raha hai, team settle ho rahi hai, toh jyada changes nahi honge.”
Is match mein ek aur surprising decision dekhne ko mila — Marcus Stoinis ko team se drop kar diya gaya, aur unki jagah Josh Inglis ko khilaya gaya. Inglis ne bat se toh kuch khaas nahi kiya (sirf 2 runs), lekin unka wicket-keeping role strong tha. Ponting ne bataya ki:
“Stoinis ko drop karna tough decision tha. Lekin Josh Inglis ek noted player of spin hai. Shayad is match mein aisa nahi laga, lekin uska spin ke against record strong hai. Aur uski keeping bhi world-class hai. Matchup ke hisaab se Maxwell aur Marco ke bowling options bhi chahiye the, isliye Stoinis ko rest diya gaya. Bangalore ke next match mein dekhenge kaunse combinations fit baithte hain.”
PBKS ke liye ye jeet kaafi crucial thi. Ab woh IPL 2025 points table mein 4th position par hain with 4 wins and 2 losses. Agla match unka hoga April 18 ko Royal Challengers Bangalore ke against — ek aur tough battle tay hai!
