New Chandigarh, May 30: Following the disheartening loss in the first qualifier of IPL 2025, Punjab Kings fast bowling coach James Hopes addressed the key areas where the team lacked and expressed optimism for the next qualifier to book their seat in the final of the tournament Punjab Kings lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by eight wickets in a low-scoring game, failing to take the first chance to book their spot in the final.

Batting first, PBKS lost early wickets and only managed to post 101 runs on the board, with 35 balls still remaining. RCB, on the other hand, chased the total in just 10 overs, while giving away only two wickets and securing a place in the IPL 2025 final.

"We played the first over okay with the bat and then it just snowballed from there. The game only finished 20 minutes ago so trying to digest it is hard in these 20 minutes, but it is also necessary that we digest it and move on from it by the end of tonight because we have to travel tomorrow,” the fast bowling coach Hopes said in a post-match presser.

"We have got to get up to play another game on Sunday and we are going to do it the hard way now, but I hope we meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru again on Tuesday night... We have a two-day turnaround now to play another final. We have worked for two and a bit months to earn the right to have a second chance, and we are going to cash that second chance in, hopefully," he added.

Hopes also addressed the struggles faced by the PBKS' batting unit against RCB but affirmed that they should continue with the aggressive approach, instead of doubting and revisiting their strategies. "While our batsmen were a little bit reckless, they have counter-attacked the whole year and it has worked the majority of the time. It did not work tonight. We do need to talk about it, but we also understand we are going to a pitch that is going to be completely different to what we just played on,” said the fast bowling coach.

He added, “The aggressive nature should return; I am in favour of that. The worst thing our batters can do now is blink and start jumping at shadows and second-guessing themselves. We have to go to Ahmedabad. Historically it is (Ahmedabad) a very good pitch, and we know we are going to have to go quite hard and score quite quickly. It is not back to the drawing board by any means."

Punjab Kings will now face the winner of Friday's eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans in the second qualifier on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

(IANS)

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