DC vs PBKS: “You’ve Got to Take a Chance” – Sunil Joshi on Harpreet Brar Bowling The 20th Over

Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Harpreet Brar bowled the 20th over in the DC vs PBKS clash on May 17 which proved to be costly for his side. Punjab Kings’ spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi admitted that the decision to bowl Brar in the 20th over was a gamble that did not pay off.

Delhi Capitals got off to a great start on a batting friendly wicket at the HPCA stadium in Dharamshala as both their openers David Warner and Prithvi Shaw played their shots right from the word go. The momentum was then carried forward by Rilee Rossouw and Phil Salt as no PBKS bowler could restrict them from playing their shots.

I think execution was missing: Sunil Joshi

“We bowled very well, actually. The wicket was true, if you look at the scores from both the sides. I think execution was missing. T20 [is a] format where you try your luck time and again and comeback. [Sometimes] You don’t execute. It is a matter of one good over. That’s the difference,” Sunil Joshi said in the post-match press conference.

“Brar and [Rahul] Chahar bowled well, but the third over [from Brar] went for 23 runs, which was crucial. If you look back, the last two overs which fast bowlers bowled, they also gave 17-18 runs. It was a chance; you’ve got to take a chance,” the PBKS spin-bowling coach discussed about the 20th over bowled by Harpreet Brar.

Punjab Kings’ skipper Shikhar Dhawan decided to give the last over of the DC innings to left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar which eventually proved to be costly for the PBKS side. Brar ended up conceding 23 runs as Rilee Rossouw smashed him for 2 maximums and a four.

The decision was harshly criticised by former cricketers and cricket fans as Rabada had just bowled 3 overs while Arshdeep Singh had just bowled a couple of over in the innings. Both of them have immense experience of bowling in the death but they weren’t trusted by the PBKS skipper.

The decision to bowl Harpreet Brar in the final over allowed Delhi Capitals to post a mammoth total of 213-2. Punjab Kings eventually fell short by 15 runs in the DC vs PBKS contest.