IPL 2021: Once PBKS start beating the teams placed above them, they'll be back in the playoff race - Ajay Jadeja
Former player Ajay Jadeja has said that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) still have a chance of making the IPL 2021 playoffs. But for that to happen, PBKS will have to beat the teams perched above them in the points table.
With three wins from eight games, PBKS are sixth in the standings. They are set to face the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their next two games, the second and third-placed teams in the IPL 2021 points table, respectively.
Ajay Jadeja has said that if PBKS beat both these teams, they'll get right into the playoff mix. He observed in this regard, as quoted by Hindustan Times:
“Punjab are in a tough situation. They are lagging behind in the points table. They are just two positions down from the top four. But I have seen the table getting shuffled drastically. Because the bottom-placed teams are also left with their games, while Punjab are yet to face four out of top five sides. So once they start defeating the teams placed above them, they will be back in the race."
Ajay Jadeja also suggested that the Punjab Kings should look to win all their remaining games, something that looks tough but is not an 'impossible' proposition.
“Ultimately, the knockouts have almost begun for them. They are slated to face seven teams now, and defeating all seven teams on the trot will not be an easy task. It’s not impossible, but winning seven out of seven is not (going to be) easy,” said Jadeja.
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The absence of KL Rahul is worrisome: Ajay Jadeja
PBKS captain KL Rahul is slated to miss a few games after he had to be hospitalised for acute abdominal pain.
Ajay Jadeja feels KL Rahul would be missed by PBKS, both in terms of his captaincy as well as batting prowess.
“The absence of KL Rahul and his class batting will be a worrisome factor. The batting void can be filled, as Mayank Agarwal played a great knock. But it will be a loss from the captaincy point of view,” added Jadeja.
KL Rahul has scored 331 runs in seven games at an average of 66.2 and was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2021 before he left the bio-secure bubble.