Sher-e-Punjab T20: ‘We are ready for every challenge,’ says Salil Arora ahead of final
Mohali, Sep 13 (IANS) Ludhiana Lions captain Salil Arora believes his side is ready to face whatever challenges Amritsar Soormas can throw at them as the two teams clash in the final of the inaugural Sher-e-Punjab T20 League at the I S Bindra Stadium on Sunday.
Ludhiana Lions head into the summit clash with strong momentum after beating Jalandhar Warriors by 17 runs in the semi-final. Salil led from the front with a captain’s knock of 120 off 56 balls, while Sahil Bhaskar produced the tournament’s best figures so far, claiming six wickets for 16 runs to help his side secure their place in the final.
“The slate is clean and we carry nothing but positivity into the finals against Amritsar Soormas. We are ready for any and every challenge that they will throw at us, and the boys are ready to do whatever it takes to win the inaugural Sher-e-Punjab T20 League. We have big match winners in our squad, as has been on display throughout the entire league. Both the batting and bowling line-ups are in extremely safe hands,” Salil said.
Salil said the team would continue to function as a cohesive unit in the final and remain focused on executing their individual and collective plans.
“The team will function as a cohesive team, exactly the way we have been operating throughout the tournament. Nothing changes from Match 1 to the finals. The boys know what is expected of them and are eager to execute individual plans and plans for the team. We look forward to playing the finals in the evening,” he added.
Ludhiana Lions team director Jasvir Bhojgi hailed Sahil Bhaskar, who was named Player of the Match for his match-winning spell against Jalandhar and also leads the tournament’s wicket-taking charts with 20 scalps. Jasvir feels Bhaskar has been the find of the season.
“It would not be too wrong to say that Sahil Bhaskar has been one of the finds of the tournament. Our plan for the tournament from the start was simple: to scout the best talent that exists across Punjab and to give them a platform that they rightly deserve,” Jasvir said.
“This is exactly what the think tank at Ludhiana Lions has been able to achieve in the squad that we have assembled. Not only Sahil Bhaskar but also Kartik Chadha, Arjun Rajput, and Madhav Singh Pathania, amongst others, are testament to the work behind the scenes,” he added.
Ludhiana Lions also defeated Amritsar Soormas in their last league match, with Salil Arora scoring 69 off 36 balls to earn the Player of the Match award. Sahil Bhaskar, Kartik Chadha and Krish Bhagat also took wickets in that game.
Ludhiana, however, will miss the services of pacer Arshdeep Singh, who has joined the national team, while Arjun Rajput will also be unavailable, as he joins the India U-19 side for its assignment against Australia.
Ludhiana Lions had a poor start to the season, losing three matches in a row; however, head coach Sunil Saggi said the team remained focused and increased its effort on the field to reach the final.
“After losing three matches on the trot, the team was given a simple communication, which is to increase the effort on the field. There was nothing that was particularly going wrong, but just converting and winning the smaller match-ups has made all the difference,” said Saggi.
“We have to acknowledge the efforts of Kartik Chadha and Sahil Bhaskar as pivotal features of our road to the finals. Finally, I commend Salil as a captain, and as a batter, he has managed both his responsibilities very well. In fact, he has led our batting effort from the front and anchored us in sticky situations,” he added.
–IANS
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