Ahmedabad, May 2: As Punjab Kings (PBKS) prepare for their next Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 showdown against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday, Assistant Bowling Coach Trevor Gonsalves outlined the team's approach for the clash at the Narendra Modi International Stadium, Ahmedabad.
With the squad aiming to maintain their momentum through a "fearless" brand of cricket, Gonsalves addressed concerns around the line-up adjustment and the team's tactical response to the high-scoring bowling challenges in recent matches.
Coach backs bowling unit
Addressing the external chatter regarding the bowling unit’s recent performance against high-scoring opponents, he emphasised that the current game climate favours batters.
"We know cricket is mostly more heavily in favour of the batsmen. Everyone is saying that we did not do a good job with the bowling unit, but I don't see it like that. It’s just that on that day, RR (Rajasthan Royals) played a little bit better. Yes, there are a few things we could have done. We have mended it. It's the 8th match and we have just gone down once. And you shouldn’t forget that in that other match (against DC) we scored 250 also,” the coach said.
Speaking about the team's identity, Gonsalves reiterated the squad's commitment to an aggressive, fearless style of play. "I think we play a different brand of cricket compared to what we see the others playing. It's fearless. We go all out at it.”
He further backed his claim by stressing the minimal changes made by the team in their line-up. “If you see, we haven't made any changes in the last 7 or 8 games, except for the last game that we played. There was a mix of good and bad performances in the team, making many people come up with many theories about bringing a change or two in the team. But that's where we are trying to play fearless cricket by indicating to the boys that we are backing them.”
Optimistic about pitch conditions
Turning his attention to the pitch conditions, Gonsalves expressed optimism about the playing surface for tomorrow’s game.
“I just had a look at the wicket and this was actually the real look of the wicket that we got to have compared to what it was yesterday and the other days. It does look like a better track. However, we are expecting a little bit bounce on it due to black soil,” the coach said.
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“We have played GT before. We know exactly what they are coming in with and what change they could probably be bringing in. And at the same time, we are working on our aspects where we are going back again to how we played them earlier. And if you remember, the last time we played GT, we got them out quite quickly,” the coach added while commenting on the strategy for Sunday’s game.
Punjab Kings will next face Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi International Stadium on May 3, 2026, at 7:30 pm.
