Mullanpur (Punjab) [India], April 18 : Ahead of the Punjab Kings' upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) home encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday, fast bowling coach James Hopes addressed the media to discuss the team's momentum.
According to a release, reflecting on the recent victory in Mumbai, Hopes praised the evolving leadership of captain Shreyas Iyer, the resilience of the squad's bowling unit and the mature performances shown by young talent.
The coach opened by highlighting Iyer's brilliant catch against the Mumbai Indians and remarked on the maturity he has brought to his captaincy over the years, while also noting his potential to become a world-class batter upon his return to the national side.
Hopes said, "I can't say enough about Shreyas. I worked with him when he was very young in this league, and he's just grown, and he's grown over the years to become the player he is and the captain he is. Captaincy hasn't affected his batting, to be honest, I think the captaincy improves batting. He's gone from strength to strength."
"I think once he finds his way back in the Indian team, you'll see the batter that he's going to be for the rest of his career, which is obviously a world-class short-form batter and someone that could fit into long-form cricket pretty easily," Hopes added.
Hopes also discussed Arshdeep Singh, who, despite a slow start to the season, returned to form in the previous match.
"He's a world-class T20 bowler, one-day bowler, and I don't think there was ever any panic. I think he just thinks in his head that he's really struggling. We just keep reminding him that it's not a real struggle. This is just what happens when you play for long enough. You go through these ups and downs and he came off a World Cup win and I think there's going to be a natural little letdown after that, but he was really up for the Mumbai game," the coach told.
Shifting focus to the team's uncapped talent, Hopes commented, "To start with the opening pair, I actually don't think they realise how good they actually are. I've never seen an uncapped player do what Priyansh has done since his first game; he looks like an even better player this year. As for boys like Nehal and Shashank in the middle, they haven't been required to do much yet because of how well our top order is playing. They are doing their jobs with little cameos, but I'm sure they will step up when they are needed in the coming games."
Despite the team's dominant performances, the coach reaffirmed that the players are not taking their success for granted. The squad remains focused on the upcoming challenge against a side they consider highly dangerous.
"We had a huge win in Mumbai the other night against a pretty good team in hostile conditions but we aren't taking it for granted. The boys are back at training and back at work, getting ready for what we consider a dangerous team (LSG). They have got players like Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, who can take the game away from you real quick," he commented.
Punjab Kings will next face Lucknow Super Giants at the New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, on April 19 at 7:30 pm.