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Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin believes the win over Kolkata Knight Riders has boosted player confidence but emphasizes the need for continuous improvement as the IPL progresses.
Brad Haddin wants the squad to keep getting better. (PTI Photo)
Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin has little doubt that the fighting win over Kolkata Knight Riders has instilled a lot of confidence in players but said they should strive to get better as this season’s IPL marches towards its business end.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side had bundled out KKR for 95 after they were bowled out for 111 at Mullanpur a few days back.
“I think the one thing it (the win over KKR) does with the playing group is it re-ensures everything that we’re doing they start to trust.
“The players started to believe that they could win from any situation. I reckon that is really important as you go deeper into the tournament,” said Haddin on the eve of the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru here.
But for Haddin, it’s a mere starting point as he wanted to see more improvement in his squad.
“It was a special win. But we’re at the stage in the tournament where you’ve got to make sure you’re getting better and better each game. Our wins are starting to become really important with the way the table’s congested.
“So, for us, it’s about just building on a little bit of momentum and playing some really brave cricket,” he said.
Haddin was proud that the Punjab side is filled with some really explosive batting talents and hoped that they can continue to keep a clear head in crunch situations.
“We’ve got a really dynamic batting line-up. They all know their role individually and they can take the game away from the opposition. But when they go out there, it’s about clearing the head and executing (the plans).
“You’ve got to be brave to go deep in this tournament and that’s the mindset we want the players to have all the time,” said the Australian.
Haddin said playing on some bowler-friendly pitches will help batters to develop their game awareness and understanding of various conditions.
“I think the one thing that came out of that (playing on sticky decks) is understanding conditions. The week was probably different to what we’ve seen throughout the IPL. You had a bit on offer for the bowlers.
“The one thing we stressed to the playing group is to be really clear in your plan and to take the game as deep as you can. To make sure our players understand that you’ve got to play the game deeper and that’s one thing we talked about,” he noted.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
