New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Former New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan has hailed Jason Holder’s ‘outstanding’ spell of 4-24 playing a vital part in Gujarat Titans beating Punjab Kings by four wickets in IPL 2026, adding that the all-rounder’s success was down to him being disciplined with his lengths at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

That spell also ensured Holder won successive Player-of-the-Match awards for GT, who are now on a three-match winning streak. “Jason Holder was outstanding because of his discipline with length. He consistently hit that hard length, right around the six-to-eight metre mark, which made life difficult for the batters.

“With his height, the extra bounce becomes a real challenge; the ball climbs onto the splice and is hard to control. He didn’t offer width either. So, there were very few scoring opportunities. On top of that, he mixed in his variations smartly and even got some sideways movement later in the innings. It was a complete spell, perfectly suited to the conditions,” said McClenaghan on JioHotstar.

He also weighed in on left-handed opener Sai Sudharsan making 57 off 41 balls, adding that his dominance with the bat in a chase of 164 was aided by a lack of tactical flexibility from the Punjab Kings bowling line-up. “Sai Sudharsan is in excellent form. Once he gets going, he tends to carry that momentum through the innings. What stood out was his composure in challenging conditions.

“He built key partnerships and ensured the chase stayed on track. From Punjab Kings’ perspective, they didn’t quite adjust their plans to him. They allowed him to access his strengths, especially square of the wicket, and kept offering pace, which suited him.

“At this level, you need to adapt to the batter, even if conditions suggest otherwise. He never really had to step out of his comfort zone and controlled the game throughout,” he added.

–IANS

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