Mohali: Punjab Kings batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa (L) celebrates his half century with captain Shikhar Dhawan during IPL 2023 cricket match between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Saturday, April 1, 2023. (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore) Punjab Kings batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa (50) hit his maiden IPL fifty on Saturday against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and it was his 86-run second wicket stand with skipper Shikhar Dhawan (40) that set the tone for the home team.
Punjab won the match by seven runs as per the DLS method.
Rajapaksa walked in and wasted no time to take the attack on to Sunil Narine in the fifth over of the innings. Narine started with two dots but then the moment he tossed it up Rajapaksa went inside out for two fours and ended the over with a straight six.
Sadde Sheran da intent. 🔥👌
Boundaries galore in our very first outing with the bat. 🤩#JazbaHaiPunjabi #SaddaPunjab #PBKSvKKR #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/WoOthucVqD
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 1, 2023
“My part of the scoring shots was just instincts. Wherever the ball was pitched we were trying to manipulate the bowlers and it worked for us. It’s not that we targeted the short boundaries. We just manipulated the bowlers,” he told the reporters after the match.
On his partnership with Shikhar Dhawan, the southpaw said: “Shikhar and I wanted to bat as long as possible. Plan was for me to keep attacking and Shikhar to play the anchor role.
“I always enjoyed batting with Shikhar because understanding is good and he keeps talking and we knew when to attack them and we knew whom to target.
“It actually helped us to get that big total on the scoreboard. We didn’t plan much but it was more going with the flow at the moment.”
The Punjab Kings credited their team’s playing two practice matches on the ground with helping them prepare better.
“We knew that wicket was not going to be that easy when the bowl gets older. We got a couple of practice games last week on this track, we got that home advantage knowing what kind of wicket it could turn to,” he said.
KKR’s impact player Venkatesh Iyer, who scored a crucial 34 for his team admitted that the home team used the ground dimensions better than them and blamed the rain for the loss.
Venkatesh ↔️ Varun pic.twitter.com/oQ6HqZJxmB
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 1, 2023
“Wickets started to grip a bit in the second innings. All in all it was a good wicket to bat on.
“It’s not about us using the dimensions of the ground, they used it well because it’s their home ground and played to their advantage.
“We played some good shots but probably failed to get the middle of the bat. We didn’t lack anywhere.
“A few boundaries here and there and the results could have been different and then the rain came,” he said.
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