5 days Ago By Anudeep Sharma
Speaking on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Kane Williamson commented on Punjab Kings’ winning performance: "There's a real buzz around that team, and many players and commentators have been discussing the balance of their squad. They certainly have a great balance, but more importantly, they are playing beautifully, complementing each other exceptionally well. At the moment, they are possibly the team to watch out for—extremely well-led.
Shreyas Iyer is moving to the beat of his own drum; he remains completely unfazed by external noise and just focuses on playing his game. He carries a real swagger, which is fantastic to see, and it seems to be infectious for the players around him. They've already used around 14 players in just two games, deploying different impact players, all of whom have made a significant contribution.
It's truly impressive to see how the team is coming together." JioStar expert Piyush Chawla also praised Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, he said: "His thought process is always different because he knows how to find ways to win. A captain's success also depends on the setup around him, as a leader can only be as good as the players supporting him.
Punjab Kings covered all their bases in the auction, assembling a well-balanced squad. Their middle order is strong—Nehal Wadhera, coming in as an impact player, played a crucial knock. When you have depth on the bench, it gives you flexibility and strong backup options.
That’s why Punjab Kings are looking like a completely different team this year." Commenting on Prabhsimran Singh’s outstanding knock, JioStar expert Kane Williamson said: "It was an explosive start. In the first innings, the pitch didn’t seem the easiest to bat on, and it was difficult to find fluency.
However, Prabhsimran didn't let that affect him—he came in with intent, threw the first punch, and never looked back. His 69 off 34 balls was incredible—shots all around the ground, completely dictating the pace of the chase. His knock set the perfect platform for Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera to come in and finish the innings.
" JioStar expert Kane Williamson also shared his thoughts on Arshdeep Singh’s performance: "He is a high-quality bowler and has been part of the Indian setup for quite some time now. On that surface, he understood that patience and hitting the right areas would yield results for seam bowlers. He picked up crucial wickets, and if this wasn't considered a great day for Arshdeep, then a truly great day would probably be taking three or four wickets for 20 runs, which would exceed anyone’s expectations.
His early breakthrough was key—dismissing Mitchell Marsh, who has been giving his team strong starts, made a huge impact. Controlling the powerplay often sets the tone for the game, and Arshdeep executed his role beautifully, both at the start and in the final over." JioStar expert Piyush Chawla weighed in on Rishabh Pant’s performance and whether his heavy price tag is adding pressure: "Knowing Rishabh Pant, I don't think it's the price tag that's affecting him.
However, he is currently not in the best of form. He has been out of the Indian white-ball circuit, and coming into this tournament as the captain of a franchise, there were high expectations of him. A lot happened last year, and naturally, a lot was expected from him this season.
Unfortunately, both his team’s campaign and his personal form haven’t started well. His dismissal today was particularly disappointing—it was a ball that could have been put away anywhere, yet he found the fielder at short fine leg. His reaction afterward, that knowing smile, suggested he is aware he’s going through a rough patch where things just aren’t going his way.
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