Sher-e-Punjab T20: Responsibility helps me grow, says Ramandeep as Mohali Kings storm into semis

Mohali: Asserting that responsibility helps him grow as a player, skipper Ramandeep Singh led from the front with a blistering, unbeaten 71 off 36 balls as Mohali Kings stormed into the semifinals of the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League with a five-wicket win over Bathinda Royals at the I.S. Bindra Stadium here on Wednesday.

Chasing a competitive target of 185, Mohali Kings got off to a disastrous start, losing two wickets with just four runs on the board. But skipper Ramandeep and Anmolpreet Singh (49 off 28 balls) revived the chase with a crucial 52-run stand for the third wicket before Ramandeep took control to take his side over the line.

“Our dressing room is very calm; as we all know, not every match can be won. I think responsibility helps me to grow, and I try to finish the game on my own,” Ramandeep said after the match ended.

Despite securing a spot in the semifinals, Ramandeep cautioned his side against complacency as the group stage draws to a close. “My message for the team is we have two matches left, and we must keep our heads down and keep on working,” he added.

Earlier, Bathinda Royals staged a solid recovery after being reduced to 17/2. Harnoor Singh (43 off 36 balls) and Gourav Choudhary (35 off 22 deliveries) put on a 74-run partnership for the third wicket, before late flourishes from Ridham Satyawan (31 off 19 balls) and Shahbaz Sandhu (38 not out off 23 deliveries) propelled them to 184/6 in 20 overs.

Mohali Kings coach Harvinder Singh expressed satisfaction with how the team’s tactical plans and player combinations were executed to get the desired result. “Our team combination is something we are working on, and players have performed the way we were thinking.

“As soon as the tournament started, we counselled senior players about taking responsibility, so that was the plan today also that even if wickets were down, we will not lose patience and take the game till the end,” Harvinder noted.

With the tournament entering its business end, left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harpreet Brar highlighted the role of mental fortitude and self-belief among the younger players in the squad.

“To youngsters, I say that trust your strength. I say control the controllables. In T20 cricket, it is all about momentum. These are some mental skills you use. Now the games are a knockout, so we want to give 110 percent in the next matches to win the trophy.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]