‘He could get a consistent run and he has been a fabulous player’ - Wasim Jaffer on young PBKS star batter

Punjab Kings had a great outing in IPL 2023 so far as they won their first two matches of the season consecutively. In their second game, PBKS registered a thrilling win against Rajasthan Royals by 5 runs in Guwahati on April 5th. Punjab posted a total of 197 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, while RR were restricted at 192 for 7.

Skipper Shikhar Dhawan played an anchor role in Punjab’s batting lineup as he remained unbeaten on 86 runs off 56 balls as PBKS crossed 190 runs. However, the foundation for the big total was laid by the young batter Prabhsimran Singh along with Dhawan. The opening pair added 90 runs for the first wicket in 9.4 overs. Prabhsimran impressed everyone with his batting as he got out after scoring 60 runs off 34 balls including seven fours and three sixes.

Prabhsimran has been a part of PBKS since 2019 but has only played six matches since then. Former cricketer and PBKS batting coach Wasim Jaffer said that the involvement of international stars like KL Rahul, Jonny Bairstow, and Mayank Agarwal didn’t allow the management to invest in the young batter.

"Apart from this season, Prabhsimran Singh did not get a consistent run, because of various reasons, like we had Bairstow, KL and then Mayank was also there before. So this time around, he could get a consistent run and he has been a fabulous player, but, no matter how good you are, you need a little consistent run. So, he can play a lot more fearlessly," said Jaffer in a post-match press conference.

'Dhawan knew that he could take his time...' - Jaffer.

Wasim Jaffer also heaped praise on Dhawan for playing an anchor role and change the gear in the second half of the innings after the dismissal of Prabhsimran.

"I think Prabhsimran was going so well, so Dhawan knew that he could take his time, so he played the second fiddle, so that is where experience counts. When Prabhsimran got out, he took charge and then batted through the innings," Jaffer said.

"We wanted one of the top three to bat until the 18th-19th over, and he did exactly that. He picked up his strike rate, it was a lot better in the second half. Somebody, as experienced as him, knows how to pace the innings and he did exactly that," the PBKS batting coach added.

Punjab Kings will be taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their third match of the season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 9.