🏏IPL 2024: Match 37 - PBKS vs GT at Mallanpur @ 7:30PM IST🏏 - Page 12

Punjab Kings are definitely under par here and have not justified Sam Curran's decision to bat first. They got off to a good start - adding only their second 50+ opening stand of the season. Prabhsimran was motoring along but perished while playing the big shot, the spinners then came on and put a strangle once the powerplay was done. The spinners bowled 13 overs and returned with figures of 6/75. Sai Kishore being the pick of the bowlers with a 4-fer. Punjab crossed the 140-mark thanks to a cameo from Harpreet Brar, the spinning all-rounder struck a few boundaries to get them to a respectable total, while the other Harpreet struggled and wasted Punjab's impact sub card. The surface is slow and has help for the spinners. But Gujarat Titans should fancy chasing it down.

4-fers for GT spinners in the IPL

4/24 - Rashid Khan vs LSG, Pune, 2022

4/30 - Rashid Khan vs MI, Mumbai WS, 2023

4/33 - R Sai Kishore vs PBKS, Mullanpur, 2024

-- 7 wickets to spin is the most in an innings this season, bettering DC’s 5/125 from 10 overs against SRH from yesterday. It is also the most for GT in an innings, bettering 6/31 from 5.5 overs between Rashid Khan and R Sai Kishore against LSG in Pune in 2022.

PBKS No.6 to 11 this season

Inns: 8

Players: 10

Runs: 566

Avg: 29.78

SR: 160.33

50s: 2

The only other team with 350-plus aggregate from No.6 or lower this season is RCB (494 at 26, SR: 167.45)

13 overs of spin is the most in an innings this season. It’s also the joint-most for GT in the IPL; Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Jayant Yadav and Rahul Tewatia had returned 3/85 from 13 overs against LSG in Lucknow last year.

Pace vs spin in this innings

Pace: 2/66 from 7 overs (ER: 9.43)

Spin: 7/75 from 13 overs (ER: 5.77)

Jimmy : "Harpeeet has a lot of nerve to turn down not one but two singles while siting on 13 from 18 balls. Rabada just proved last match he can hit a SIX. "

Mustafa Moudi : "People criticising Curran's decision to promote himself should remember it was MS Dhoni who first promoted him as an open back in 2020 for CSK. And remember he was the one who promoted Rohit as Opener back 2009 and after 4 years, he proved his decision right. I am sure Curran will prove MSD Right in the near future !!"

PBKS No.6 to 11 this season

Inns: 8

Players: 10

Runs: 566

Avg: 29.78

SR: 160.33

50s: 2

The only other team with 350-plus aggregate from No.6 or lower this season is RCB (494 at 26, SR: 167.45)

Johal: "I don't understand pbks management..they are giving chances to out of form players like bairstow ,russo ,Liam ,Sam and keeping the most in form player raza on the bench " -- he'd have been a handful on this surface tonight.

Welcome back.. The pitch did help Gujarat's spinners but Punjab have only Brar and Livingstone, they can't even call up Rahul Chahar as they have used up their impact sub. So the pacers will have to do bulk of the work. Rabada is going to open the attack. One slip in place. Third man in. Off we go

Madhav: "Harpreet Bhatia isn't the kind of player to hit 30 off 10. Even Harshal Patel can do that. Spinners are doing well so why not get Rahul Chahar?" -- you make a solid point

Sunny: "@Madhav Bhatia has not been asked to score 30 off, he's just here to build a partnership. They could have bowled out for less than 120."