All teams had opted to field first on winning the toss in evening games in this IPL edition till skipper Hardik Pandya did the opposite for table-toppers Gujarat Titans against Punjab Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.
Hardik said after the match that he took the decision looking ahead to the play-offs, for which Titans have a bright chance to qualify, as he wanted the team to find out ways to set winning targets.
“We needed to come out of our comfort zone. We have chased well in this tournament. If required we had to know how to set targets,” said Hardik at the post-match presentation ceremony.
The decision to bat first did not click as Punjab hammered out a comprehensive eight-wicket victory with 24 balls to spare over Titans and halted their five-match winning streak.
Chasing Titans’ below-par total of 143-8 in which Sai Sudharsan top-scored with an unbeaten 65, Punjab cruised home in 16 overs.
“We weren’t even close to a par score. 170 would have been ideal. But we kept losing wickets regularly and never came anywhere near it. Batting first wasn’t a wrong call,” Hardik said.
