IPL 2021, PBKS vs RR: Anil Kumble frustrated over Punjab Kings losing games by close margins

On Tuesday, the Indian Premier League 2021 saw a breathtaking clash between former champion Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, in Match 32, at the Dubai International Stadium. It was a heartbreak for PBKS, as it lost the game by a margin of just a couple of runs.

The loss has compelled PBKS to stay at the seventh spot, as its bid to remain in contention for the playoffs has taken a severe jolt, while it has to win its remaining five games hereon. Furthermore, losing matches by a close margin has somewhat been a pattern for PBKS this season, which has frustrated head coach Anil Kumble.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Kumble asserted that it has been a trend of late for the side, especially during the matches in Dubai. He affirmed that the message was sent to the team to wrap up the game by the 19th over. However, as it got dragged until the last over, the last couple of balls became like a lottery, especially with new batters coming in, reports PTI.

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Nonetheless, he gave due credit to RR pacer Kartik Tyagi for bowling a superb final over, giving away just a run to push PBKS batters onto the backfoot. Kumble reckoned that the batsmen knew he would be bowling wide outside off, but they could not execute their shots properly.

However, Kumble went on to laud his bowlers for bowling good, especially in the closing stages of the RR innings. He reckoned that since one part ground's boundary distance was relatively small and with RR threatening with a score of 200-plus, the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami made a remarkable comeback in the final four overs, giving away just 20 odd runs.

 
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