Mohali, March 24
Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, who picked up figures of 2/28, expressed that an all-round team effort helped the Punjab Kings (PBKS) record a victory over the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
The Punjab Kings got off to a terrific start in IPL 2024 after registering a four-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals at the new PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, Mohali on Saturday. The Punjab Kings restricted the Delhi Capitals to 174/9 before chasing down their target in 19.2 overs.
"T20 cricket is a game of momentum and you have to find a way to stay in the game. The bowlers pulled the game back well after the Delhi Capitals got off to a good start in the Powerplay overs and Sam Curran played a brilliant innings to take us over the line," Arshdeep said according to the press release by PBKS.
When asked about the usage of the short delivery by the Punjab Kings bowlers, Arshdeep said, "We looked to use the short deliveries as much as possible because the square boundaries are big here in Mullanpur. We wanted to use as many variations as possible and not worry too much about the runs being scored."
Arshdeep's fellow fast bowler Harshal Patel picked up the crucial wickets of David Warner and Rishabh Pant. When asked about his performance, Arshdeep said, "Harshal Patel is experienced enough to know what will work for him on every wicket. He's been putting in the hard yards and you saw how well he bowled in his first three overs."
Speaking about playing in the newly-opened stadium in Mullanpur, the speedster said, "We got to know about the conditions of the new ground through our pre-season camp. We found out the kind of deliveries which would work for us and the batters got to know the kind of shots they need to play on this ground. We'll look to use our home conditions in our favour as much as possible."
The match in Mullanpur yesterday also contributed INR 35 lakhs to a noble cause as the M3M Foundation, with Shikhar Dhawan Foundation, has committed support to one girl child for her vocational education as Rs 5 Lakhs will be donated for every 25 runs scored and 3 wickets taken by Punjab Kings during its home games.
Through the initiative, the organisation will offer vocational education support to 111 girls for up to Rs 5 Lakhs, covering a total amount of Rs 5.55 crore over the next five years.
The Punjab Kings will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their next match at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Monday.