PBKS's playoff hopes in shambles; Ashwin analyzes Arya's form dip

R Ashwin says PBKS opener Priyansh Arya's form has dipped as bowlers figured him out, urging him to 'find answers'. He also criticized Arshdeep Singh's death bowling choices amid PBKS's six-match losing streak that has hurt their playoff hopes.

After Punjab Kings (PBKS) loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin said that this season, the team's opening batter Priyansh Arya has faced a dip due to bowlers figuring him out, due to which he is not at his natural and attacking best. The all-rounder urged the young opener to "find answers", citing a lack of conviction in his shots even when balls are worth hitting.

PBKS continued to experience the downslide after a dreamy start to their season, spanning a seven-match unbeaten run. A morale-crushing sixth successive loss has left their playoff chances in shambles, needing them to win their final game against Lucknow Super Giant (LSG) and pray that their immediate rivals in the table, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), currently at 12 points each, end their campaign at 14 points at best by winning just one of their remaining matches.

During the clash against RCB, Priyansh was the first wicket down to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing a half-hearted shot straight to mid-wicket to Romario Shepherd for a three-ball duck. In these six losses, Priyansh's scores have been: 29, 2, 1, 56, 22 and 0, which translates to 110 runs at an average of 18.33. During his side's winning run, Priyansh had scored 7, 39, 57, 15, 93 and 43, a total of 254 runs at an average of 42.66.

'Bowlers have learned how to bowl to him better'

Speaking on 'Ash Ki Baat' YouTube channel, Ashwin said that PBKS made it to the final due to a "fabulous season" from Priyansh last year, and his dip is due to bowlers being able to figure out where to bowl him and where he could get out. "Last year, when he reached the final, it was largely a fabulous season for Priyansh Arya. So we have to remember that Priyansh Arya's form has dipped a little this season. The reason for that is not really any major fault of Priyansh Arya himself. Bowlers have learned how to bowl to him better. They now know where to bowl to stop him and where he is likely to get out. Right now, this is a phase where Priyansh Arya needs to find answers. Priyansh Arya has to figure things out," he said.

Ashwin said that it is as if Priyansh is aware of what the bowler is going to throw at him, and he is curbing his natural, attacking, free-flowing strokeplay and has been "thinking too much in his mind" on short balls. "It is almost there in his head that the bowler is going to bowl a certain delivery to him, so he is not stepping out as much. There is a bit of hesitation in his stroke play. Earlier, if the ball was pitched up, he would hit it over extra cover because that intent was natural. But now he is preparing for short balls as well, thinking too much in his mind because all the bowlers have him figured out to some extent. So he is not coming onto the front foot as much, and even when the balls are hittable, they are not being played with the same conviction," he added.

Last season, Arya scored 475 runs in 17 matches at an average of 27.94 and a strike rate of 179.25, with a century and two fifties. So far this season, he has 364 runs at an average of 30.33 and a strike rate of 212.87, with three fifties.

Ashwin slams Arshdeep's death bowling

Left-armer Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh, who leaked 43 runs in four wickets and took just one wicket against RCB, was also slammed by Ashwin, saying that instead of bowling yorkers in death overs, he has been bowling slower ones and getting his into sixes. He also spoke on his lack of field setting for wide yorkers. "Arshdeep is still a young boy. I am saying this because Arshdeep is a very talented cricketer, a very talented bowler. But the way he has taken a lot of decisions this time while bowling on the field has left me a little surprised. Like I said last time as well, he is bowling wide yorkers without even setting a proper field for it. And in the death overs, when you should mainly stick to yorkers, he's getting hit for sixes on slower balls into the pitch. These are all things that you are still trying to figure out, and they are things that should already be figured out," he said.

This year, in 13 IPL matches, Arshdeep has taken 14 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 34.92 and an economy rate of 9.78, with best figures of 3/22. (ANI)

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