BENGALURU: After some heart breaking losses in the first half of the season, Kings XI Punjab have come back with a bang, winning three matches in succession. What makes this feat ever more special is the fact that these victories have come against the best teams - Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore - of the 13th edition so far.
As a result, Punjab have a spring in their stride and will be keen to continue that winning momentum when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Saturday. David Warner's men might have lost two of their last three games, but they are aware about the significance of the contest.
There is a lot to play for both teams, who are well and truly there in the Playoffs race. Hyderabad, who are fifth, and Punjab in sixth, are tied on eight points. The former is ahead on just the net run rate.
Though Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are comfortably placed at top three, the race for fourth spot is gradually becoming more and more interesting. Kolkata Knight Riders currently occupy fourth place with ten points.
It would not be wrong to say Punjab have started to click on time, at the business end of the competition. Besides Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul, others in the team have started to contribute with the bat, including Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran.
Glenn Maxwell, their number five, might not have done enough to justify his place in the XI with his bat, but his ability to change the game on its head makes him an immediate threat, irrespective of his form. No wonder, the management has kept faith in his skills despite his repeated failures. He has scored 90 in nine innings.
Their top four is capable of destroying any bowling attack in the world and it would be a great contest against a team, which boasts of a quality bowling line up. The entire batting unit of Punjab will be tested by Hyderabad, who might not have Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but Sandeep Sharma’s ability to swing the new ball cannot be ignored.
T Natarajan, with his yorkers and variations, is growing in reputation. And when one throws Rashid Khan, one of the best leg-spinners in world cricket, in the mix, one can be assured that the batsmen need to work hard to score runs. In fact, it is this contest between the Punjab batsmen and Hyderabad bowlers, which could prove to be the difference between winning and losing.
Make no mistake, Hyderabad have some quality players in the batting department too. David Warner, Jonny Bairstow and Manish Pandey hold the key, but if the trio fail, their lack of experience and quality players in the middle order could be a major drawback.
However, they will be pleased to have seen Vijay Shankar come up with an important half-century in their last game. They need more of these from the Tamil Nadu man. They will have to deal against a much improved and efficient bowling unit of Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi.