Powered by skipper Shreyas Iyer\u2019s unbeaten 101 off 51 balls and a 140-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab chased down 197 in just 18 overs at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday to climb to fourth on the table.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The result ended a difficult stretch for Punjab, who had won six of their opening seven games before suffering six consecutive defeats that pushed their campaign to the brink. Reflecting on finally returning to winning ways after nearly a month, Chahal said the biggest challenge during the slump was maintaining belief within the group.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhen you win six of your first seven matches and then go on to lose the next six, after a point, there\u2019s nothing left to say. How you keep the team together and the environment close-knit becomes key. So, there were never any negative thoughts. Even during practice, the focus was on ourselves and how we could get those two points because it had been almost a month since we last won a game. So, this win feels special,\u201d Chahal said on JioHotstar after the game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Punjab\u2019s playoff hopes, however, still depend on other results. They now need the Mumbai Indians to beat Rajasthan Royals on Sunday to remain in contention, while Kolkata Knight Riders can still overtake them on net run-rate with a massive win over Delhi Capitals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chahal, though, joked about temporarily switching allegiances for Sunday\u2019s clash at the Wankhede Stadium.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe will be in Lucknow only. Hopefully, RR lose tomorrow and Rohit Sharma scores 200 directly, it\u2019s been a long time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The leg-spinner then turned serious while analysing the playoff permutations and Mumbai\u2019s chances against Rajasthan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut on a serious note, I think our chances depend more on the day game because KKR might have to chase down a total in 11-12 overs, which can be a bit difficult. It\u2019s Wankhede, a small ground, so if they get Vaibhav out cheaply, I think Mumbai Indians\u2019 chances of winning will be high,\u201d the spinner stated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chahal also offered an insight into the growing difficulties faced by bowlers in modern T20 cricket, pointing to flatter pitches, aggressive batting approaches and the Impact Player rule as factors that have shifted the balance heavily in favour of batters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEarlier, you used to get a little bit of turn and assistance from the wickets, but in the last two years, I don\u2019t think the wickets have offered much help. Maybe apart from Hyderabad, where I got it to grip a bit because it was slow and the boundaries were big. But apart from that, every ground seems to be flat,\u201d he mentioned.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
According to Chahal, the rise in scoring rates has fundamentally changed the way bowlers approach games as he said, \u201cEarlier, teams were okay with a 50-run powerplay, but these days, 65-70 has become the norm. That means when I come on to bowl, I\u2019m often bowling to a set batter already on 40 or 50, and then there\u2019s an extra batter to counter because of the Impact Player rule. So, as a bowler, you are under immense pressure. Even when a team is six or seven wickets down, you know there are still batters to come. So, it is challenging.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEarlier, you used to get a little bit of turn and assistance from the wickets, but in the last two years, I don\u2019t think the wickets have offered much help. Maybe apart from Hyderabad, where I got it to grip a bit because it was slow and the boundaries were big. But apart from that, every ground seems to be flat,\u201d he mentioned.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut I still feel that if you have skill, you can bowl well. Because of these high scores, if a bowler goes for 40 in four overs, it\u2019s not considered bad these days,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n