Our batting coach, Wasim Jaffer, believes that the team needs to produce an all-round performance in our must-win TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 17.

Our boys need to bag two crucial points in our penultimate home match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, Dharamshala, to stay in the playoffs race.

“Play good cricket over a period of 40 overs, and take it from there. I mean if you bat first, bat really well, or whether we bowl first, bowl well. So, it’s pretty simple. Like I said, batting and bowling need to click together, as simple as that,” Jaffer said ahead of our crucial clash against DC.

Jaffer also stated that our batters and bowlers need to adapt to the conditions at our home venue in Dharamshala.

“I think, probably the length the bowlers have to bowl because we’re coming from Delhi where the bounce was a little low. The batters also need to adjust. It’s not a very big ground like I said. So, you don’t need to overhit the bowl. It’s at a high altitude, so the ball does carry. So, you’ll get your value for your shots on this ground. Keep reminding the batters about that,” he added.

The 45-year-old was also in awe of the picturesque HPCA Stadium which is surrounded by the snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the background.

“Probably, the best scenic ground that you can get in the world, and I’ve played on quite a few. You can’t get this kind of a scene on any of the grounds. So, it’s wonderful to come back here. The weather is fantastic, the food is fantastic. So, lovely to be here,” the former Indian cricketer said.

Our batting coach further added that the pitch looks good heading into Wednesday’s encounter.

“It looks like a good pitch. It’s always a high-scoring ground. Not a very big boundary. It’s going to be played after a while, even though quite a few local games have been played, but this outfield has been relayed. So, it’s going to be interesting.

It will have everything for everyone. You know the fast bowlers will get good decent bounce and carry. Saying that the batters will also get the bounce to hit. It’s not a big boundary,” Jaffer added.

He also showered praise on Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar for their brilliant performances against DC in the reverse fixture.

“I think it was obviously a must-win game. The way we batted, especially how Prabhsimran batted on that pitch. After the game, we could understand what kind of knock it was because everybody found it difficult. For him to get a hundred on that pitch was absolutely priceless. And then obviously, after the six overs, how the game turned around. The way Brar bowled and the way Rahul Chahar bowled, I think that was magnificent,” he stated.

Jaffer urges the Punjab Kings fans to attend our penultimate match in huge numbers.

“The Punjab fans, the Sadde fans, just come and support in big numbers. We are coming to Dharamshala after a long time. So, your support matters a lot. This will give us a lot of boost.”

The PBKS vs DC match will start at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time.