‘All-round effort will be the deciding factor’

RAJKOT: Kings XI Punjab batting coach J Arunkumar feels an allround effort will be key in deciding the winner when they face Gujarat Lions on Saturday.

“Batting departments of both the teams are doing well. Gujarat’s batting has come to form so has been ours so it will be whichever teams bats well tomorrow and holds its line while bowling will decide the match,” said the Karnataka Ranji coach.

The 42-year-old, appointed by Kings XI this season, felt it’s a matter of time before both departments start clicking in tandem.

“They (bowlers) have bowled well in two-three games, they (batsman) have batted well in two-three games but are yet to complement each other. It’s a matter of time before that happens,” he said on Friday.

He also felt a turnaround is not too far away. “We have seen some individual brilliance from Manan Vohra and Hashim Amla (104* against Mumbai Indians) but it’s very important to play as a team. Winning or losing is a habit. So if we start winning, we will get back on track,” he said.

In the last match, they staged a mammoth total of 198 but Mumbai Indians chased it down with ease. Arunkumar said that they though it will be a good total.

“Batting first you actually don’t know what the target to set on certain wickets. In the previous games played in Indore (before the Mumbai Indians match) the scores were in the range of 150 and 160. So here (against Mumbai) we thought that between over seven and 13 if we have a moderate strike rate of 130 or 140 we can launch after that, and which we did, will be good enough. But it wasn’t,” he said.

Only good thing for Kings XI is that they are still in the mix to make it to the knockouts and will look to push on from hereon to improve their credentials.

Bowlers have bowled well in twothree games, batsman have batted well in twothree games but yet to complement each other. J ARUNKUMAR, KXIP batting coach