Ricky Ponting has pointed to Punjab Kings' washout against Kolkata Knight Riders as the moment their season began to slide, with the team now needing a win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive. Punjab Kings, who were on top of the table earlier in the season, have lost six matches in a row and sit fifth with 13 points.
A victory at Lucknow would lift Punjab Kings to 15 points, but it would not seal qualification. Rajasthan Royals, who are fourth with 14 points and can finish on 16, and Kolkata Knight Riders, who can also end on 15, can still push Punjab out depending on results and net run rate. If Punjab lose, they are out.
Ponting said the team had been outstanding for its first seven or six games before the washout against Kolkata changed the momentum. Since then, he said, Punjab have been just a little bit off and have only themselves to blame for results that might have swung the other way by “one or two balls” or an over here and there. He said those small margins meant Punjab could have won another three or four games.
The former Australia captain said Punjab have a clear idea of what their best cricket looks like and what they have to do to win on Saturday. That match will be the final league game for Shreyas Iyer's side, and it comes against a Lucknow team already eliminated from playoff contention but coming in with some form after winning three of their last four matches.
That makes the contest awkward for Punjab. Lucknow have no route into the postseason, but Ponting said that can make them dangerous because they are playing for personal pride and for the franchise's reputation. He said he wants his players to respond by being fearless and daring, taking the game on rather than worrying about the negative things that could happen.
For Punjab, the equation is simple and unforgiving. Beat Lucknow and stay alive for another round of scoreboard watching; lose and the season ends there. Even a win would leave them waiting on the results around them, with Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders still able to decide whether their early promise turns into a playoff place or a collapse remembered for how quickly it came apart.
