Rajasthan Royals finally halted Punjab Kings’ unbeaten run, and for the first time this season the spotlight turned firmly on PBKS’ bowling. Head coach Sam Curran tried to play it down, but numbers – and the eye-test – say otherwise.
PBKS’ fast-bowling coach James Hopes faced the post-match questions. “First things first: yeah, we are conceding [a lot of runs], but I think we’ve had some pitches that have suited us [and] we’ve been just fine. Not saying this wicket doesn’t suit our bowling attack, I’m just saying that the wicket’s very good, it’s flat and the ball is flying around,” Hopes said. “We went in with a slightly different look tonight, our t…”
The sentence drifted off, yet the theme was clear: the attack needs a tidy-up, particularly their pace spearhead.
Arshdeep Singh, usually the man entrusted with both new ball and death overs, has eight wickets in as many outings. The economy rate – 10.96 – is painful reading, and the wides column (19 so far, comfortably the worst in the league) hints at a bowler struggling to land his yorker.
“A concern. Because Arshdeep Singh, no matter how many runs he leaks, he comes back in the death, nails the yorkers. We’ve always known Arshdeep to be a very, very good yorker bowler,” Abhinav Mukund said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut. “I don’t mind him going for those wide, because he aims for those wide lines. [But] today I felt that planning was amiss.”
The left-armer leaked 68 on Tuesday – 15 and 22 in the powerplay, 14 in the 15th over, 17 in the 18th. One wide, yes, but the lengths were off and RR’s openers pounced.
Piyush Chawla, never one to sugar-coat, doubled down. “He’s somebody who’s known to pick up wickets with the new ball, and that’s not been happening,” Chawla said. “The game [where] he picks up wickets with the new ball, he ends up bowling a wonderful spell. That’s what happened against MI [3 for 22]. But this season, he’s going at almost 11 runs per over. And I understand that he bowls those difficult overs in the powerplay and then at the death, but still he’s your still premium bowler.”
There is sympathy, of course. Mohali, Jaipur and, on this occasion, Mullanpur have all served up true, quick pitches. Even so, the raw figures are hard to ignore: of the 33 bowlers to deliver 120 balls or more, only Arshdeep has sent down wides in double-digit percentage terms (10.56%). You can’t set fields for wides.
“A game or two games here and there, you can expect [him to do badly], but it’s happening most of the time,” Chawla continued. “Then it is a matter of concern, because if you look at the bigger picture – when you’re going into the playoffs – then you have to think about it. What if something like this happened in a playoff game? Then you’re playing a catch-up game. It’s not that you’re sitting comfortably.”
PBKS’ 6-0 start owed plenty to batting fireworks from Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone and Shikhar Dhawan. Twice they chased 200-plus with overs to spare. Against Delhi Capitals, they reeled in 264. That sort of muscle can paper over bowling cracks for only so long, and Tuesday felt like a gentle reality check.
“[The loss to RR] is good, it’s like an eye-opener. Because the DC game also – okay, I understand record, chase, everything… good wicket – but still, if you’re conceding 265 [264] runs, that is a matter of worry.” Chawla’s words will sting, yet they carry weight.
Behind the scenes PBKS have options. Nathan Ellis is fit again, Kagiso Rabada is bowling full tilt in the nets, and young left-armer Vidwath Kaverappa impressed during pre-season. A rotation – or simply a week on the sidelines – can clear a bowler’s head.
Hopes, for his part, tried to stay calm. He pointed out that a team rarely cruises through an IPL without a hiccup. That’s true: Gujarat Titans dropped four matches on their way to the 2024 title; Chennai Super Kings rebounded from three defeats last year. Even so, nipping issues early helps.
The upside for Arshdeep is obvious. His release point remains high, the swing is still there, and a single crisp spell – two in-swingers with the new ball, one yorker at the death – could flip the narrative overnight. Mukund summed it up neatly: wipe the slate clean and get back to basics.
PBKS next face Sunrisers in Hyderabad, another batting-friendly venue. Stick or twist? It’s over to the think tank. Either way, the Kings know their margin for error with ball in hand has just narrowed, and their most trusted seamer is under a familiar, if uncomfortable, microscope.
