Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting coach Wasim Jaffer said we’ll witness a more flexible and aggressive KL Rahul during the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
With Rahul’s approach during the previous edition of the IPL falling under the scanner, Jaffer defended the PBKS captain and expressed faith in him to be more proactive at the crease in IPL 2021.
Rahul ended the IPL 2020 at the top of the run-charts, with 670 runs from 14 innings at an average of 55.83. Rahul’s tournament tally included one century and five half-centuries. However, those runs came at a significantly low strike-rate of just 129.34, which proved costly to Punjab’s fortunes.
From being an aggressive opening batsman, Rahul became an anchor who played within himself and tried to bat deep by cutting down risks. But as it happened, Rahul’s approach hurt Punjab’s chances of winning a lot of their close encounters.
The team eventually finished in the bottom half of the points table, winning six and losing eight of their 14 matches.
KL batted a little timidly last season,
said Jaffer in interaction with TOI, adding that greater depth in the batting unit will help Rahul play the more attacking brand of cricket.
He probably batted deeper because there was not much batting after No. 5, and Glenn Maxwell was not firing. He took that responsibility on himself to try and stay at the crease and get the job done. This time around, everyone will see an aggressive KL Rahul for sure.
PBKS taking confidence from KL Rahul’s strong comeback versus England: Wasim Jaffer
Rahul was under scrutiny even recently when he endured a poor run in the five-match T20I series versus England. The Karnataka and India right-hand batsman, however, bounced back strongly in the ODIs that followed and batted very well in the middle-order.
It (loss of form) can happen to any player. The more games he played, the better he became. Yes, he had a poor T20 series, but it did not make him a bad batsman. He has scored centuries in all three formats and knows his game better than anyone else. In the ODIs, he showed why he is such a special player,
Jaffer said.
PBKS are once again appearing to be a promising side on paper, the one which would be in contention to make the playoffs. But the issue of inconsistency on the on-field has plagued the side since the start of the IPL back in 2008.
This is a much more balanced side than last year. We lacked bowlers who can back Mohammed Shami. In Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith, we have got two pacers who can bowl quick.
said Jaffer.
The batting coach, however, refused to be drawn into talks around the hefty prize tag of PBKS’ two overseas fast-bowling signings. There is a line of thought that says the team were better off going after an additional Indian paceman at the auction in Chennai. But Jaffer said:
I am not the right guy to answer this. But we do have a talented pool of Indian pacers in the form of Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel and Darshan Nalkande.
Jaffer also said Punjab have tried to resolve their lower middle-order issues this season. The team wore a top-heavy look about their batting unit last year. Someone like Glenn Maxwell failed to get going at any stage, with his struggles proving to be one major reason behind the team’s downfall.
Shahrukh Khan is someone we are looking at as a finisher this time around. He is an exceptional hitter. He played an important role in Tamil Nadu’s title triumph in Syed Mushtaq Ali. Fabien Allen is another exciting talent as is Prabhsimran Singh,
Jaffer concluded.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are scheduled to kickstart their IPL 2021 campaign on April 12 in Mumbai against Rajasthan Royals (RR).
