Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin is in awe of teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

For Brad Haddin, watching Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s stunning hundred felt like watching highlights. “The whole thing was highlights,” Punjab Kings’ assistant coach said here on Saturday. “You didn’t have to sit for a long time to watch it. It was extraordinary viewing.”

“What I liked most about his batting was that the ball kept going out of the park,” said the former Australian wicketkeeper. “Another thing is the way he played his game at such a young age: he did not get overawed by this enormous competition called the IPL. The coaching staff have done a good job to hold him back and get him in for the tournament. And that is the story you want from the IPL.”

Lucknow Super Giants’ David Miller, who himself knows a thing or two about sending the bowlers out of the ground, is as impressed with the Rajasthan Royals teenager. “It is about maintaining that (form) moving forward and keep winning games for whatever teams that he plays for. He is one for the future. And that is the beauty of the IPL. You get to see a lot of depth in Indian cricket, some incredible players coming through.”

Miller is glad that another Indian youngster that caused a big sensation, with the ball last season, is back in his team after injury. Mayank Yadav, who stunned with his genuine pace, picked up two wickets on his return. “He is an incredibly talented young man with a lot of cricket ahead of him,” said the South African.

LSG will be eager for a special knock from skipper Pant.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Dark clouds hung ominously for much of the day, and then it rained pretty heavily. The HPCA Stadium still looked pretty as a picture.

“The first thing the players – especially the foreign ones – after reaching the ground do is to take out their phones (and click pictures),” Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin said on the eve of the IPL match against Lucknow Super Giants.

This is the first match for Kings at their second home ground. They have finished their assignments at their base of New Chandigarh, and their last three home games are to be played here.

They should be looking to make the most out of the home advantage, with the league in its business end. They are very much in the race for the playoffs, having won six of their 10 games.

One of those wins was against LSG. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and opener Prabhsimran Singh cracked half-centuries in that away match, a month ago. The two men have continued their merry run, and along with Priyansh Arya, they form a formidable top-order.

Punjab Kings’ Marco Jansen.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

There is balance in the bowling attack, comprising the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal and Marco Jansen. The LSG bowling is bolstered by the return of the fiery Mayank Yadav.

The visitor, which is also fancying its chances to move to the last four, must be hoping its captain Rishabh Pant finds his touch again. The overseas batters – Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram – have delivered though.