IPL 2021: Virender Sehwag, Pragyan Ojha Critical Of Punjab Kings Batting Approach

Former cricketers Virender Sehwag and Pragyan Ojha revealed that the batting style of Punjab Kings has put undue pressure on Nicholas Pooran and Chris Gayle while batting first. Indeed, the top order of Punjab Kings has failed to get going again in the game against KKR, and it is not the first time that the franchise has collapsed to a low score.

KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal need to pull up their socks and give good starts to the team for the other batters to build on, instead, the new batsman has been facing a lot of pressure which hasn’t helped the team’s cause.

They had a good game against Mumbai but they suffered another loss yesterday and are pushed to the sixth spot in the table now in 6 games. It is going to be tough for them as the days progress and they need to sort out their issues quickly.

“They Have The Firepower To Score 200-Plus Runs” – Virender Sehwag

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag opined that Punjab Kings needs to work on their batting and their bowling has looked good in the last two games. He stated that the big guns in the team need to start firing which will allow them to post challenging scores on board.

He added that Punjab Kings has the goods to score 200 plus and they need two of the top for batsmen to get going which can change the course of the match.

“Punjab need to sort out their resources, especially when they are batting first. No doubt Punjab bowled very well. They also produced a brilliant performance with the ball against Mumbai Indians in their last game. But the most important factor for them is their batting,” said Virender Sehwag.

“They need to make sure that their hard-hitters start performing well which will eventually make them consistent in winning games. They have the firepower to score 200-plus runs. Even if two out of their four batsmen click at right time, they can completely change the game,” he added.

“Can’t Plan Based On Past Glory” – Pragyan Ojha on Punjab Kings

Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha had said that the batting mindset of the Punjab Kings lineup has been leading to their downfall. He told instead of trying scores near 200, they must aim for 160-170 runs at first which will reduce the pressure on guys like Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran.

He added that Punjab cannot rely on the past and they must first get to a good start which will propel the team to score automatically.

“They should think about 160-170 at first. But if you start thinking from the beginning that we have a very good batting line-up with Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran and we should aim 180-190 then you are putting undue pressure on (them),” Pragyan Ojha said

“You can only think about a big score once you have got a good start. So you have to change your plans accordingly. You can’t think that you have big names and they will always score runs. You have the look at the kind of form they are in too. Can’t plan based on past glory,” Ojha added.

Nicholas Pooran has been struggling for form in the Punjab Kings lineup and he must be dropped or moved up the order to get him on track.