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Punjab Kings bowling coach James Hopes believes that the franchise skipper Shreyas Iyer has "stepped up" a level from where he stood in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Punjab Kings will continue its quest to qualify for the playoffs on Sunday against the eliminated Rajasthan Royals in the scorching heat of Jaipur. With "calm and confident" Shreyas at the helm, Punjab have transcended its inconsistent past and found the formula for success. James Hopes, who worked with Shryeas during their time together with the Delhi Capitals, feels PBKS is "blessed" to have the 30-year-old, who stays "same" irrespective of how the game unfolds. "He (Shreyas) is calm and confident. That is the first thing he does really well, regardless of how the game goes. He is the same person. If you have a bad day as a player, he is going to be the same person towards you after the game," Hopes told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Saturday. "He has stepped up a level from what he was in KKR. That just comes with playing more cricket and being more confident in what you do. We are blessed to have him in our team," he added. The Kings are on the cusp of playoff qualification, requiring two victories to stay in the hunt for their maiden IPL title. The third-placed Punjab will resume its campaign against the beleaguered Rajasthan, who are threadbare at the second-bottom spot in the points table. Punjab is bereft of the Australian pair of Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis since the resumption of the tournament. Despite the absence of a couple of overseas stars, Hopes aussured that the Kings are unfazed and will continue to stick to the similar structure that has helped them reap success. "We hope Marcus and Josh join us early next week. We have added Mitchell Owen. There have been times when Marcus and Josh were not part of the squad. We will go with a similar structure. The way we will play will be similar," he said. (ANI)
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