Dharamshala, May 13 (IANS) Struggling to reignite their campaign after four successive defeats, last year’s finalists, Punjab Kings Assistant Bowling Coach Trevor Gonsalves, emphasised that the team remains focused on the task at hand for their clash with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 in Dharamshala on Thursday.

With three league matches remaining, Punjab Kings are hoping to return to winning ways against the Mumbai Indians in a critical fixture on Thursday, and Gonsalves said they have worked on the weak areas to ensure no mistakes are made in the next game.

Gonsalves maintained that despite a few difficult games, there has been no change in the environment of the team and dressing room, with everybody having a positive outlook towards the remainder of the tournament.

“It is exactly as it was when we started. Nothing has changed at all in the dressing room. We are quite confident about it. Three games are a lot of games, it’s not less, and we hope to do our best. Yes, there were some ups and downs. There were some places where we needed to iron it out; we’ve done that, and we will be back,” he said regarding the team’s mindset heading into the final stretch of the season.

Addressing the team’s fielding issues, Gonsalves acknowledged the impact of missed opportunities while highlighting the work being done in training to ensure it is not repeated.

“We have dropped, yes, I agree to it. There could be a lot of reasons, including the crowd behind, the lights, and everything. But at this elite level, yes, those catches need to be taken. There is no doubt that we have been dented by them. But we are on it. You can see the practice is on till late. We are working very hard on it, and hopefully we will set it right,” he noted.

Further speaking about the recent losses and how the team is planning to bounce back from them, the coach said, “If you ask me personally, I would really say what has happened is not too bad, and it’s not too good either. But yes, from here on, peaking would be the main key. And all big cricketers like Arshdeep, Yuzvendra Chahal, and other big guys wait for such platforms. This is where they will make a show of themselves and prove what we are.”

While speaking about the conditions on the ground for the upcoming game in Dharamshala, the coach noted that the toss and local conditions would play a significant role, as the wicket is changing due to the weather.

“If you have seen, the wicket looks different now and will look different tomorrow. It’s very difficult to assess now what is going to happen. But yes, looking at the weather conditions, looking at the ground, the size of the ground, there are some things that we have discussed today that we need to get into play…The wicket conditions have a lot to play. But yes, with small ground and a lot of dew, bowling first is a good option,” he noted.

Gonsalves also spoke about the team’s approach to external pressure and the leadership of head coach Ricky Ponting in helping the team navigate through it.

“We are only concerned and worried about tomorrow’s game and how we are moving forward in the cricketing part. Ricky is a thorough professional with all these parts. And he also knows who he is dealing with. The top elite cricketers are also very professional, and it’s really great to see how he handles it. He doesn’t beat upon it,” he said.

–IANS

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