Indian Premier League

IPL 2022: Need to believe we can win IPL title – Punjab Kings’ Odean Smith

Punjab Kings’ new recruit Odean Smith feels they need to believe they can win the IPL title for the first time after helping his team get off to a winning start against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Sunday.

Smith was roped in for a whopping amount of INR six crores by PBKS in IPL 2022 mega auction and he was able to justify his price tag in the team’s opening clash.

The West Indies all-rounder could not execute the right line and length with the ball as he was taken for 52 runs in his quota of four overs. However, the hard-hitter was able to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting as he played a fine cameo of 8-ball 25. The right-hander scored one four and three maximums to get his team over the line.

Smith had the rub of the green on his side as he was dropped by Anuj Rawat after he had only got off the mark. He made RCB pay for that drop as Mohammed Siraj was taken for 25 runs in the 18th over. Smith was awarded the Player of the match for his cameo.

He said in the post-match presentation, “We were stressing on having a good start. We just needed to have that belief. Didn’t go so well with the bowling. I need to work on a few things. Batting was good as I helped my team to win. It was all about execution and I couldn’t and that’s why it went haywire. Punjab hasn’t won the title so far but we need to have the belief. We watched ’14 peaks’, 13 remain for us.”

On the other hand, Bhanuka Rajapaksha also played a key role in the run-chase as he scored 43 runs off 22 balls with the help of two fours and four sixes. The left-hander was able to take the attack against his Sri Lankan teammate Wanindu Hasaranga and it came off for PBKS.

Rajapaksha said after the game, “What we thought was that we’d just have a free hit. Shikhar wanted me to be aggressive although I had just come out to the middle. I knew how Hasaranga bowls. It was about knowing him and playing him for the last 4-5 years now. I bought my local knowledge and it worked. This win is a huge confidence booster. We watched this movie called ’14 Peaks’ and we have 14 games. Every game is a batter’s game. The credit should go to the bowlers to restrict them to 200. But in the middle-overs, we gave away around 130 runs in the last 8-9 overs. But I am sure the bowlers will come up with better plans in the future.”

Punjab Kings will look to continue the good show in the upcoming matches but they would look to pull up their socks in the bowling department. PBKS will next face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Friday.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024