Punjab Kings has great balance, says Kane Williamson

Reflecting on Arshdeep Singh’s performance, Williamson says he is a high-quality bowler and has been part of the Indian setup for quite some time now

HYDERABAD: “Punjab Kings certainly have a great balance, but more importantly, they are playing beautifully, complementing each other exceptionally well,” says New Zealand great and now commentator Kane Williamson in a chat with JioHotstar after PKS outplayed Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL League match on Tuesday.

“At the moment, they are possibly the team to watch out for—extremely well-led,” Williamson said.

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“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,” he said.

“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,” the former Sunrisers Hyderabad opener said.

Reflecting on Arshdeep Singh’s performance, Williamson says 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 said. “His early breakthrough was key—dismissing Mitchell Marsh, who has been giving his team strong starts, made a huge impact,” the Kiwi great said.

“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,” he said.

For his part former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla said knowing Rishabh Pant, he doesn’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,” Piyush said.

“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,” the former IPL veteran said.

“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,” he concluded.