Pressure. Perhaps the most used word when it comes to sport. Everyone who has played sport will tell you there is always pressure. From fans, parent bodies, sponsors, family and most importantly from yourself. At the end of the day, a sportsperson is alone grappling with her or his own mind. A mind that is full of clutter and is constantly fighting to be freed. Of all the thoughts that keep flooding in, of the possibilities that keep disturbing the equilibrium and finally all the hope and expectation of what can be.
It is this pressure that impacted Punjab Kings today. The desperation to win that eventually made them succumb to the pressure. The process was sacrificed at the altar of expectations and the basics weren’t followed. There was no Plan B. At 30/3, they should have changed tactics and tried scoring 150. Made sure they were competitive. Sadly they did not do so because they seemed overcharged. The occasion got to them and caused their downfall.
They had topped the group. Got lucky and were playing in front of home fans. The build-up was about Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting. It all added up and they were below par.
Poor shot selection and even poorer application. A little help for bowlers, and it all unravelled for Punjab. Wickets fell in a heap and there was no one to take control. Wild shots against Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, uncontrolled aggression against Yash Dayal and false bravado against Suyash Sharma meant they had no total to defend. Shreyas fell early, yet one more time in New Chandigarh, and that’s when things started to go south. Most batters wanted to hit every ball and it was just a matter of time. Even Marcus Stoinis, their best in many ways on the day, fell to pressure. All he needed to do was bat deep and yet he looked restless or unsure.
It is not easy. Never is. But that’s what separates the men from the boys. The best from the rest. From the team that wins from others who are good but not the best. It all boils down to pressure. It all boils down to who wants the title that extra bit more and yet hasn’t forgotten the process that will get them there. While Punjab have done exceedingly well, the cup could still remain elusive. It wasn’t their night in the end and that’s the harsh reality. They will have one more chance and will need to make it count.
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