Kings of Punjab (PBKS) Coach Sanjay Bangar spoke about the challenges his team faced following the unexpected departure of crucial England players for international duty during the crucial phase of the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024).
In a press conference after Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) final league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Bangar discussed the impact of losing key England players on the team’s performance in the lucrative T20 league.
The PBKS coach revealed that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had initially assured that its players would be available for the entire IPL season, but unexpected changes in the tournament schedule disrupted the team’s plans.
PBKS faced challenges in IPL 2024 after departure of England players
Bangar explained that while planning the auction, the PBKS team was confident in the availability of English players for the entire season after the ECBThe guarantees. However, the extension of the ongoing IPL in 2024 for various reasons complicated things.
The likes of Sam Curran, Liam Livingston and Jonny Bairstow left the PBKS camp to join the England camp ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan at home, and Bangar said this put them in a challenging position as they had to adapt quickly to the absence of key players for the remaining games of IPL 2024.
The departure of the English players was a setback not only for the PBKS but also for other IPL teams facing similar problems, affecting their team dynamics and performance during critical stages of the competition. Notably, PBKS suffered a four-wicket defeat against SRH in their last game of IPL 2024.
The ECB had made it clear that all players will be available: Sanjay Bangar
Sanjay Bangar said in the post-match press conference in Hyderabad: “When we went to the auction, the ECB made it clear that all players would be available. What happened is that the tournament was a little longer, I would say, for multiple reasons. “Everyone was in a similar situation but we lost those English players.”
The PBKS coach explained in more detail: “For us, even losing Livingstone with a knee problem, the ECB took him out. Even KG (Kagiso Rabada) had an infection and had to return (to South Africa). Those things, added together, meant that when we got to the final two games, we were lacking players with pedigree and international experience. That hurt us, but it’s not the only reason our season was below average.”
Notably, Jitesh Sharma captained PBKS in a couple of games in IPL 2024 after Sam Curran returned to England as they take on Pakistan in a four-match T20I series on May 22 ahead of the much-awaited Cup of the ICC World T20. 2024.
PBKS ended their IPL 2024 campaign in 9th place in the standings, winning just 5 games from their 14 appearances in the cash-rich T20 league. In the IPL they only qualified for the playoffs twice. Punjab’s Harshal Patel is currently the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2024 with 24 scalps.