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Punjab Kings' Josh Inglis opened up about his batting position change while bringing his trademark wit and humour when asked about filling captain Shreyas Iyer's shoes at No. 3 after PBKS downed MI by seven wickets on Monday to seal a spot in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
The promotion to the number 3 brought out the best in Inglis as he architected a match-winning 109-run partnership off 59 balls with Priyansh Arya to get Punjab home in 18.3 overs. After the promotion, the wicketkeeper batter wasn't shy about expressing his satisfaction. He was also effusive in praise of Arya, who displayed remarkable maturity for a rookie, chipping in with a valuable 62 off 35, courtesy of his astute shot selection. "The left-right partnership really helped with the short boundary, and it was about playing smart cricket. Didn't want to let things slip in the middle overs. It would have been nice if one of us had stayed till the end. I don't have to say much to him. It was nice batting with him. He was picking his match-ups and balls," Inglis said in a post-match presentation. While talking about taking up the No.3 role from captain Iyer, he deflected the seriousness with his witty humour, stating, "I don't think he's too happy, but I certainly am." The wicketkeeper batter acknowledged that he struggled to find his rhythm earlier in the chase; however, things took an easy turn for him in the new batting position, providing him with the much-needed momentum. "As he said, I was moving around, and I struggled for a bit of rhythm. Feels nicer to be batting here, got a bit of momentum going," he added. For Inglis, his size has proven to be a blessing in disguise. The wicketkeeper batter credited his smaller stature, noting that he isn't the quickest runner. He attributes his success to intelligence and hard work rather than speed or power. "I don't run too quick, that's the beauty of being someone of my size, I haven't got the power of the other guys, so I have to run hard and use my smarts," he added. (ANI)
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