Kamal Ghorui
MULLANPUR: Abhishek Sharma wasn’t in a rush at the prematch training session on Friday. He strolled out, glanced around and exchanged a few easy words in Punjabi with the ground staff, the kind of small talk that only comes when a place feels like your own. The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mullanpur isn’t quite the PCA Stadium, Mohali, but it’s close enough. Close enough for memory to do the rest.He spent a few moments near the pitch, bat in hand, almost absent-mindedly tapping it. It didn’t look like overthinking, more like quiet curiosity, trying to understand what the surface might offer or take away. Only after that did he get into his hitting, and when he did, it was clean and unforced. No big statements, just timing falling into place. A few yards away, Travis Head told a different story. There was nothing subdued about his session. The sound off his bat travelled, sharp and crisp. Head looked like he was rehearsing dominance. Together, the ‘Travishek’ pair offered a glimpse of what Sunrisers Hyderabad can be at their best — fluent, fearless and overwhelming in phases.
The trouble is that those phases haven’t lasted long enough this IPL season. For all their firepower, Sunrisers have been curiously brittle at the top. Early wickets have disrupted momentum, leaving the middle order to patch things up more often than build on a platform. Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy have provided resistance, but the team has struggled to string together complete performances. Even the bowling, expected to hold things together, has faltered. Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat are yet to find consistency with the latter coming off a tough outing against Lucknow. Punjab Kings, in contrast, seem to be settling into a rhythm that feels more sustainable than spectacular. Under Shreyas Iyer, there’s a sense of direction to their cricket. It’s not always flashy, but it’s effective. Chasing down a 200-plus total against Chennai Super Kings or adapting to a tricky Mullanpur pitch against Gujarat Titans, Punjab have shown they can adjust. More importantly, they’ve done it collectively. That ethos was evident again in their last outing, even if rain robbed them of a result. Xavier Bartlett had ripped through Kolkata’s top order before the skies intervened, leaving Punjab to share points rather than claim what looked like a third straight win. Inside the dressing room, the messaging has been simple. As wicketkeeper and opening batter Prabhsimran Singh pointed out during an interview recently, individual milestones like getting the Orange Cap or the Purple Cap aren’t driving this side — results are. It’s reflected in contributions coming from different corners. Cooper Connolly’s composed unbeaten 72 against Gujarat, pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak stepping up with the ball when needed. And then there is the surface at Mullanpur, still something of an unknown. The first game here suggested it won’t be a straightforward batting track. A 160-odd total proved competitive, the pitch offering just enough to keep batters uncertain. It asked for tactical nous as much as intent.On Saturday, it might demand the same again. For Punjab, familiarity could count. For Sunrisers, it may come down to whether Abhishek and Head can turn those promising net sessions into something more substantial. Because on a surface like this, the early overs don’t just set the tone; they shape the entire game.
