“We want to concentrate on the next game and we still have four games left. In Dharamsala, we’ll concentrate on our energies. We wish to concentrate on our outcomes,” Rossouw remarked.
On May 1, Punjab Kings of the Indian Premier League 2024 maintained their winning streak by defeating the Chennai Super Kings, the five-time champions, handily in the MA Chidambaram Stadium. On a slow, shifting wicket, Punjab’s spinners, Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar, bowled with discipline, restricting the hosts to 162/7 in 20 overs. With seven wickets remaining, Punjab chased down the total in just 17.5 overs.
After the game, Brar and Chahar, who each took two wickets and kept their economy rates below five, were commended by Punjab Kings batsman Rilee Rossouw.
“Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar have excelled. They have been providing us with excellent service. Chahar is a good bowler. Brar has demonstrated consistency. To get a wicket, they are playing wicket-to-wicket, keeping things straightforward, and staying in play whether the ball is turning or not. Especially in terms of the economy, they have been wonderful for us,” Rossouw stated at the news conference following the game.
The South African player also commended Sam Curran, the acting captain, for his choice to hand the penultimate over to leg-spinner Chahar. Chahar took a wicket and gave up just three runs at a critical juncture.
“I must acknowledge Sam Curran, who approached me and asked me to consider using a leg-spinner in the second-to-last over. He followed his instinct and took the risk, and it worked out wonderfully. It was an audacious choice that is uncommon in modern cricket. Chahar also took a strong stand and bowled that over quite effectively. This is the way the game has developed. It was a wise decision on a wicket that turned slowly,” he remarked.
Also read: IPL 2024’s Most Runs
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Curran went into additional explanation about his thinking behind selecting Chahar to face MS Dhoni in the last overs.
“We decided to attempt Rabada in the powerplay as a different approach. Later on, we intended to use our spinners. Chahar is bowling with a lot of confidence and was the best bowler in the last game. When I asked him to bowl in the 19th over against MS Dhoni, he came forward. I wanted to try something different because the quick bowlers were tiring a little bit towards the finish. You have to take these kinds of chances in this game where everyone has been hitting home runs. They function occasionally and not always,” Curran stated.
When asked what went well for his team that evening, Rossouw responded that they were better at adapting to the circumstances. “It wasn’t the IPL surfaces. Playing on these kinds of wickets requires different kinds of talents. You have to get used to the fact that you don’t always have smooth surfaces. Chennai was not as adaptable as the Punjab Kings this evening.”
Rossouw finished the game with 43 off 23 at a strike percentage of 186.96. The 34-year-old expressed his disappointment at not being able to reach fifty but expressed happiness at being able to help his team, something he hopes to always do.
“I put up a great effort and was thrilled to score runs for the squad. But I was disappointed that I was unable to get a fifty. However, that is what makes cricket so beautiful—you can’t control everything. My current priorities are winning every IPL match and having a significant influence for Punjab Kings,” he stated.
See also: Table of IPL 2024 Points
The Punjab Kings will next fly to Dharamsala, where on Sunday they will play the Chennai Super Kings one more. According to Roussouw, his team won’t make too many long-term plans and will instead concentrate on one game at a time.
“We simply need to focus on one game at a time. We’re going to Dharamsala, where the wickets are flatter and harder. The allure of the Indian Premier League is that anybody can defeat anybody. Every other ball, you have to be at the top of your game. We want to concentrate on the next game, and we still have four games left. In Dharamsala, we’ll concentrate on our energies. We wish to concentrate on our outcomes,” he concluded.
