Subhayan Chakraborty in Ahmedabad
Punjab Kings have been handed a boost as star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is set to feature against Mumbai Indians in the do-or-die Qualifier 2 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Mumbai Indians would also be hoping for some good news regarding Deepak Chahar’s hamstring issue. Despite MI not scheduled to train on Sunday, Chahar was accompanied by a few support staff, including head coach Mahela Jayawardene, as he underwent fitness drills with a heavy strapping around his hamstring and knee.
Chahal, who was battling a wrist injury, last played in PBKS’ game against Rajasthan Royals on May 18 and has since been on the sidelines. He has missed three matches on the bounce with Punjab using left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar in his absence. For MI, Chahar missed the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans. On Saturday, Chahar completed his fitness drills without any visible discomfort and could feature in the much-awaited Qualifier 2.
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As Punjab Kings trained on the eve of the Qualifier 2, Chahal was spotted having a fielding session following which he had a lengthy chat with head coach Ricky Ponting, discussing catching techniques. Although it hasn’t been the best of seasons for Chahal, with the leggie picking up 14 wickets in 12 outings at an economy rate of 9.57, he is a match-winner on his day and PBKS would want his services in the crunch game against MI.
While Punjab’s main players mostly trained light with slight drizzle hampering their nets session, the focus was mainly around fielding. Some of the players like Josh Inglis, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge had a hit at the nets against some of the net bowlers.
In the last game between PBKS and MI, Punjab emerged victorious by seven wickets and sealed their top two spot. However, with both Chahal and Chahar likely to return for their respective sides, the match-up between both the teams intensifies a lot more.
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