PBKS coach Wasim Jaffer admitted that Punjab Kings performed poorly in IPL 2023 (Sportzpix)
Wasim Jaffer admitted that Punjab Kings ‘underperformed’ in the IPL 2023 season after missing out on the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season
Punjab Kings batting coach Wasim Jaffer admitted that his team ‘underperformed’ in the ongoing IPL 2023 season after their final game this year, while the kind of players PBKS had, they needed to finish in the top half of the table. Was Needed.
Sam Curran combined a 49-run knock with Shah Rukh Khan’s 41 and Jitesh Sharma’s quickfire effort of 44 as PBKS posted a shaky total of 187 after a shaky start against Rajasthan Royals in Dharamsala on Friday being successful.
However, it was not enough to secure all three points as the Royals won the match by 4 wickets with two balls to spare as Dhruv Jurel scored the winning runs and kept his side alive in the playoff race at the cost of the home team.
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Jaffer, however, lamented the fact that the bowling attack let the team down and thus Punjab had to make an early exit from the tournament again. Since they last played in the finals in 2014, they have not made it to the playoffs for the last nine years.
“The kind of bowling attack we had, especially the fast bowlers and even the spinners, we should have bowled better in certain situations. We didn’t live up to the expectations as a bowling unit,” Jaffer said at the post-match press conference.
“It’s been a disappointing season, there’s no doubt about it. With the kind of team we had, I think we needed to be in the top half of the table. I think we certainly underperformed.”
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Coming into the fixture against RR, PBKS still had an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs, but their latest defeat means they end yet another campaign on a low.
Jaffer also attributed his team’s woes to injuries, which hampered the team even before the start of the league as they missed several key players.
Jonny Bairstow did not join the franchise as he is still recovering from an injury, Kagiso Rabada hasn’t been at his best as he struggled throughout the season, Liam Livingstone joined the franchise later, while skipper Shikhar Dhawan also suffered a shoulder injury. Missed a handful of games due to injury.
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“Looking at the situation there, Levi (Livingstone) was not there at the start (due to injury) and when Levi came in, we needed to go though the top. At the same time, Shikhar got injured. So, we had to play short because We were missing a player there (at the top). We need to put an opener there. So those were the conditions,” the former India international said.