IPL 2021: The Team Bowling Second Here Has A Huge Disadvantage - KL Rahul Complaints About Dew At Wankhede

Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul opines that the team which is bowling second at the Wankhede Stadium will be at a big disadvantage as the dew settles in making it difficult for the bowlers. Punjab lost to the Delhi Capitals on Sunday as Rishabh Pant’s side gunned down the target of 196 with 10 balls to spare.

The Punjab bowlers struggled with the dew and plenty of times were seen wiping the ball with their towels. Post the loss KL Rahul lamented the due factor which renders the bowling side in the second half of the game feeble.

In 5 matches so far in the tournament, 4 times the teams chasing has won; the one aberration instance was when the Rajasthan Royals came in touching distance of chasing 222 against Punjab but fell just 4 runs short.

“When we come to Wankhede, bowling second is always a challenge. We prepare for such conditions. It does get difficult against these quality batters. I’m not saying that because I’m on the losing side,” KL Rahul said at the post-match presentation ceremony on Star Sports.

“I think that’s only fair that team bowling second doesn’t  have such a huge disadvantage. Our bowlers try and practice their skills with the wet ball but again when you go in the middle with the pressure, it’s always difficult,” he added.

I did ask the umpires to change the ball a couple of times: KL Rahul

With the wet ball, the spinners struggle to grip the ball and find it hard to get any purchase from the surface – at one point the ball slipped from Jalaj Saxena’s hand during his delivery stride and landed behind him.

KL Rahul revealed that he did ask the umpire’s to change the ball a couple of times as the bowlers were finding it difficult to grip it properly. But his requests were denied.

“I did ask the umpires to change the ball a couple of times (as it was wet), but it’s not in the rules book, so that’s how the game goes, we have to take it,” the Punjab skipper added.

After winning their opening game, Punjab has lost their next couple of encounters and is placed in the bottom half of the table. The good news for Rahul is that their Mumbai leg is completed and they move to the much drier conditions in Chennai, where they will meet David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Credit To Delhi Capitals’ Bowlers For How They Executed After 12th Over, Says Mayank Agarwal