Haddin confident as Punjab Kings eye return to winning ways against Sunrisers in Hyderabad

Punjab Kings, who were flying high in the early part of the tournament, were brought down to the earth as two consecutive losses has made them to sit down and rethink their strategy. The table-toppers are now keen on returning to their winning ways as they face a recharged Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening.

Despite two narrow losses recently, the Kings are focused on playing their best cricket as the season enters its final weeks. But their task is cut out against the Sunrisers, who are placed third. The main challenge for the Punjab bowlers will be to stop the openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head.

Punjab’s assistant coach Brad Haddin, speaking ahead of the match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, said the team is taking a lot of confidence from how the middle order has stepped up. He pointed to the recent performance of Suryansh Shedge, who hit a fearless 57 off 29 balls against Gujarat Titans, as a big positive for the squad’s depth.

Marcus Stoinis and Suryansh Shedge put up a splendid show against Gujarat Titans. Pics: BCCI

“The partnership of Stoinis and Suryansh, we thought was really good in the circumstances of the game under pressure. Suryansh was—wow. Not so much the score, but the manner in which he got the runs under pressure. He got through the difficult time when he was ten off ten balls and then accelerated. We know how explosive our top order is, but now our middle order is starting to get some time together and get some form,” Haddin said.

Haddin also reaffirmed the team’s total confidence in strike bowler Arshdeep Singh, labelling him a world-class professional. He noted that the nature of the current tournament makes it difficult for bowlers, but the team is looking at the long-term goal.

“Arshdeep is world-class. You know in this tournament there’s going to be bad days with how explosive the batting has been right through. Numbers say that there have been some phenomenal chases, and Arshdeep understands the flow of tournament play. We’re happy with where he’s at. You want your best players performing in the important games at the back end of the tournament, and he is a key part of that for us,” Haddin remarked.

Punjab openers’ no-fear approach

The team’s identity this season has been built on a “no-fear” approach, led by openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya. Haddin credited this mindset for the team’s success so far and believes the squad is close to putting together a complete, dominant performance.

Don’t let (Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma) bat too long is Punjab’s mantra to succeed against Sunrisers

“Our openers have been one of the reasons we are sitting at the top of the competition. They’re exciting and talented, but the one thing they’ve given us is a no-fear approach at the top of the order. Tournament play is about playing your best cricket right at the end. That’s what we are striving for all the time—that perfect result, that perfect game. We think when we do find that, we’ll be a very hard team to beat,” Haddin added.

To secure a victory on Wednesday, Haddin said the tactical plan against Hyderabad’s high-scoring openers is clear: “Get early wickets. Don’t let (Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma) bat too long.”