PBKS turn wreckage to carnage to join the muddle in the middle

'Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion' said the legendary NBA head coach Rudy Tomjanovich after Houston Rockets overcame all odds to triumph in 1995.

And while the Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been as far from champions as India is from Chile, they turned into one against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on a glorious Friday night at the iconic Eden Gardens. The scriptwriters of IPL 2024 decided to keep the batting record books busy again and leave the bowlers searching for cover.

The first half was as predictable as a Karan Johar movie, with the PBKS bowlers dishing out buffet balls one after the other. As KKR trounced its way to the franchise's second-highest total of 261/6 in 20 overs, it appeared to be another joyous night for the fans of the 'City of Joy' - Kolkata.

Until a sudden flip of the switch saw PBKS turn themselves from laughing stocks to record breakers in a matter of hours.

Crash landing to Courageous take-off defines PBKS' record-breaking Eden

When the players walked off the field with KKR amassing a mammoth 261, it felt like a crash landing for PBKS, with the trollers having a ball for the next few minutes.

Yet, there was no sulking or trepidation when the Kings came out to bat in pursuit of a record chase in T20s. The openers displayed tremendous courage and clarity to set the stage on fire, reaching over a third of the target in the powerplay.

The doubts started to creep into the KKR ranks and in turn, the belief started to grow amongst the PBKS players. Led by a resurgent 48-ball 108* from Jonny Bairstow and belligerent half-centuries from Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh, the Punjab Kings completed an improbable journey.

One that saw them hunt down the highest target in T20 history in a mere 18.4 overs with eight wickets to spare.

The game served as a great reminder of why Sports is the best form of reality TV, thanks to its unpredictabilities. One could also not help but have flashbacks of the famous Australia-South Africa World Record game of 2006.

After Australia scored the then-ODI world record of 434 in the series decider, all the news was how South Africa turned into chokers right on schedule in a winner-take-all match. Fast forward to four hours later and the narrative was exactly the opposite, with fans hailing the Proteas for pulling off the impossible.

Last night turned into just that for PBKS, as they turned from laughing stocks of the IPL to record breakers in a matter of two hours.

PBKS - Contenders or Pretenders?

Given PBKS' horrific IPL history, it is hard to fathom the side being contenders even after the record-breaking win against KKR. The franchise has massively underachieved, qualifying for the playoffs only twice in 16 previous seasons.

Yet, this year feels different despite them still struggling at eighth place on the points table with 3 wins in nine games. Lest we forget, PBKS were losers of four straight before the KKR triumph.

However, a common trait even in their losses was the ability to conjure up enough fortitude to fight till the bitter end. And last night felt like a culmination of several tangible and intangible factors finally coming together for PBKS.

In saying that, the path to this season's playoffs is still full of challenges and one that requires the side to be flawless the rest of the way. But to remain in contention till the finish in almost all their recent matches shows a certain never-say-die attitude within the setup, a quality the franchise hasn't always been associated with.

Opener Prabhsimran Singh summed up the team's mindset before the record run-chase in the post-match press conference.

"There was a belief in everyone that if we conceded so many runs, then we could easily chase it. Coach Bayliss told us that we do not have to take the pressure of chasing the total, and asked us to bat like our normal selves. We needed to dominate and we were able to do that and get the win," said Prabhsimran.

For starters, PBKS have moved from the bottom two and joined the muddle in the middle with teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Titans (GT). And should they string together another few positive results, PBKS fans can start dreaming.

An auspicious beginning to that road would be a repeat of last season in their next encounter against CSK at Chennai, where they stunned the home side with a last-ball triumph.

---

Project Prabhsimran Singh finally pays dividends

While Jonny Bairstow walked away with most of the plaudits for overcoming his dismal form since arriving on Indian shores with England, one must not forget the start provided by fellow opener Prabhsimran Singh in the KKR run-chase

The 23-year-old has endured a journey with PBKS similar to Riyan Parag's with the Rajasthan Royals (RR). It is hardly remembered that Prabhsmiran has been with the franchise since 2019, when Ravichandran Ashwin was their captain and KL Rahul was in the side.

Although Prabhsimran's vitriol hasn't been anything like that of Riyan Parag, questions about PBKS' persistence with him were starting to get asked. After all, the youngster had barely scored over 400 runs in 20 games over the last five seasons, with a lone century and half-century.

IPL 2024 had a familiar beginning, with Prabhsmiran displaying glimpses of his talent, only to fall short of reaching his potential. With time running out and the impatience growing among Punjab fans, the diminutive right-handed batter finally stepped up with the season teetering on the edge.

The 20-ball 54, his first half-century of the season, set the platform for PBKS' Eden Gardens miracle. With four glorious boundaries and five thumping maximums, Prabhsimran was the sparkplug that set the ball rolling and vindicated the PBKS management's faith in him.

Or has it? The wicketkeeper-batter must still showcase consistency and not allow knocks like these to be a flash in the pan if PBKS are to fry bigger fish.

For now, Project Prabhsimran Singh has at least unveiled a teaser of what it can be, yet, how the main picture will turn out remains to be seen.