Harpreet Brar made an instant impact in his first game of IPL 2021 for Punjab Kings. The youngster’s performance with both bat and bowl helped Punjab Kings cruise towards a comfortable victory against RCB. Brar ended up winning man of the match on his IPL debut.
The 23-year-old all-rounder complemented KL Rahul by scoring 25 runs to see off the innings in fine fashion and put a decent total on the board. Harpreet‘s contribution with the ball was match-winning as he took three wickets at the expense of 19 runs.
All three wickets taken by Brar were big wickets. He delivered a double-wicket maiden 11th over of the game by taking crucial wickets of Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell. In his next over, he managed to dismiss AB de Villiers. All these three batsmen have the ability to single-handedly win the game for RCB. Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh had big praise for Harpreet Brar after Friday’s game in IPL 2021.
Very happy for @thisisbrar ! Getting wickets of some quality batsman and getting useful runs in the end ! Also the best way to 🤫 your critics when it comes to state cricket !! Well done pca president ,secretary and @harbhajan_singh in supporting your match winners #PBKSvRCB
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) April 30, 2021
Brar could get more opportunities for Punjab Kings in IPL 2021 after his match-winning performance against RCB. KL Rahul admitted that Brar could fill the role of spinner that can hit hard lengths and keep the batsmen guessing on the pitch in Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, Rahul and team management at Punjab Kings still need to address middle-order woes. Nicholas Pooran looks like a shadow of himself and Deepak Hooda’s inconsistency is not helping the cause either. Punjab’s high dependence on Kl Rahul last season was the reason they couldn’t make it to the playoffs and this season looks pretty similar.
There could be few changes in their next game. Dawid Malan may get an opportunity in the misfiring middle order. The bowling unit also faces a selection dilemma after Riley Meredith hobbled off after being hit by a travelling ball on his leg. Punjab needs at least four more wins to have a chance of making it to the playoffs.