<p>Ahmedabad: It was a season that promised so much for Punjab Kings, who finished on top of the league and secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2014. But one horror outing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 has now brought back the familiar disappointment associated with the franchise, and the path to redemption seems even more arduous.</p>.<p>Right from appointing Australian legend Ricky Ponting as the head coach to buying some highly talented players at the auction last year to naming the dynamic Shreyas Iyer as the captain and then playing some outstanding cricket in the league phase, Punjab Kings ticked all the boxes beautifully to install themselves as favourites to win the coveted IPL trophy for the first time.</p>.<p>They even got the advantage of playing the Qualifier 1 at their home ground — the new PCA Stadium in Mullanpur — but in the blink of an eye, all that good work was reduced to wreckage. RCB, themselves seeking a maiden trophy, bowled them out for 101 and then chased it down in exactly 10 overs. It was an absolute annihilation.</p>.<p>Unsurprisingly, Punjab Kings were left heartbroken, and their bowling coach James Hopes struggled to find the right words to sum up the hurt in the post-match press conference. But he did stress that it was all not over and he’s confident the team will pick up the pieces and turn up strongly for the Qualifier 2 here on Sunday.</p>.<p>It’ll be easier said than done for Punjab when they face-off against the mighty Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Unlike Punjab, Mumbai are checking in for the virtual semifinal, oozing with confidence following an exhilarating win over Gujarat Titans on Friday.</p>.<p>Their former skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been having an up-and-down season, looked close to his best in smashing a 50-ball 81, while fresh arrival Jonny Bairstow showed no ring rust whatsoever in hammering a 22-ball 47. Veteran Suryakumar Yadav was his usual enterprising self, and when they were taken apart by the inspired duo of Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar in a high-speed chase, Jasprit Bumrah showed why he’s considered the best all-format fast bowler in the world with a match-turning spell in the middle phase.</p>.<p>It was a performance that revealed again the champions mentality of Mumbai, who somehow find a way to win crunch matches, especially in the business end. Players, be it superstars or domestic talents, step up and deliver with panache turning the side into a winning machine.</p>.<p>It’s this force that Punjab will need to quell if they want to secure a second-ever final appearance in the IPL — their first was in 2014 — and end nearly two decades of mediocrity. They have enough talent in their batting who can counter a strong Mumbai attack. Openers Prabhsimran Singh (517 runs) and Priyansh Arya (431) have been in blazing form, while middle-order batters Shreyas Iyer (516), Nehal Wadhera (306), and Shashank Singh (287) too have been consistently good.</p>.<p>What they need is to bat smartly against Mumbai, unlike the hell-for-leather approach versus RCB that brought about their downfall. All of them possess plenty of power, but they need to figure out when exactly to pull the trigger instead of just randomly pressing it.</p>.<p>The onus will be on the batters as Punjab’s bowling isn’t the strongest in the league, something which has been weakened further following Marcus Jansen’s release for national duty. Can they script a turnaround following the decimation, or will Mumbai flex their muscle as usual? It’ll be known on Sunday evening.</p>.<p>Quote - </p>.<p>We have worked two and a bit months to earn the right to have a second chance and we are going to cash that second chance hopefully.</p>.<p>James Hopes <br>PBKS fast bowling coach</p>.<p>Quote - </p>.<p>That winning mentality itself comes through from those senior players and having that experience guys who have won trophies does help and my job is to try and cultivate that for the new guys who are coming into the spot.</p>.<p>Mahela Jayawardene, MI head coach</p>
<p>Ahmedabad: It was a season that promised so much for Punjab Kings, who finished on top of the league and secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2014. But one horror outing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 has now brought back the familiar disappointment associated with the franchise, and the path to redemption seems even more arduous.</p>.<p>Right from appointing Australian legend Ricky Ponting as the head coach to buying some highly talented players at the auction last year to naming the dynamic Shreyas Iyer as the captain and then playing some outstanding cricket in the league phase, Punjab Kings ticked all the boxes beautifully to install themselves as favourites to win the coveted IPL trophy for the first time.</p>.<p>They even got the advantage of playing the Qualifier 1 at their home ground — the new PCA Stadium in Mullanpur — but in the blink of an eye, all that good work was reduced to wreckage. RCB, themselves seeking a maiden trophy, bowled them out for 101 and then chased it down in exactly 10 overs. It was an absolute annihilation.</p>.<p>Unsurprisingly, Punjab Kings were left heartbroken, and their bowling coach James Hopes struggled to find the right words to sum up the hurt in the post-match press conference. But he did stress that it was all not over and he’s confident the team will pick up the pieces and turn up strongly for the Qualifier 2 here on Sunday.</p>.<p>It’ll be easier said than done for Punjab when they face-off against the mighty Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Unlike Punjab, Mumbai are checking in for the virtual semifinal, oozing with confidence following an exhilarating win over Gujarat Titans on Friday.</p>.<p>Their former skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been having an up-and-down season, looked close to his best in smashing a 50-ball 81, while fresh arrival Jonny Bairstow showed no ring rust whatsoever in hammering a 22-ball 47. Veteran Suryakumar Yadav was his usual enterprising self, and when they were taken apart by the inspired duo of Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar in a high-speed chase, Jasprit Bumrah showed why he’s considered the best all-format fast bowler in the world with a match-turning spell in the middle phase.</p>.<p>It was a performance that revealed again the champions mentality of Mumbai, who somehow find a way to win crunch matches, especially in the business end. Players, be it superstars or domestic talents, step up and deliver with panache turning the side into a winning machine.</p>.<p>It’s this force that Punjab will need to quell if they want to secure a second-ever final appearance in the IPL — their first was in 2014 — and end nearly two decades of mediocrity. They have enough talent in their batting who can counter a strong Mumbai attack. Openers Prabhsimran Singh (517 runs) and Priyansh Arya (431) have been in blazing form, while middle-order batters Shreyas Iyer (516), Nehal Wadhera (306), and Shashank Singh (287) too have been consistently good.</p>.<p>What they need is to bat smartly against Mumbai, unlike the hell-for-leather approach versus RCB that brought about their downfall. All of them possess plenty of power, but they need to figure out when exactly to pull the trigger instead of just randomly pressing it.</p>.<p>The onus will be on the batters as Punjab’s bowling isn’t the strongest in the league, something which has been weakened further following Marcus Jansen’s release for national duty. Can they script a turnaround following the decimation, or will Mumbai flex their muscle as usual? It’ll be known on Sunday evening.</p>.<p>Quote - </p>.<p>We have worked two and a bit months to earn the right to have a second chance and we are going to cash that second chance hopefully.</p>.<p>James Hopes <br>PBKS fast bowling coach</p>.<p>Quote - </p>.<p>That winning mentality itself comes through from those senior players and having that experience guys who have won trophies does help and my job is to try and cultivate that for the new guys who are coming into the spot.</p>.<p>Mahela Jayawardene, MI head coach</p>