"Never looked like they were in the game" - Ben Cutting on PBKS after their 20-run loss to LSG

Australian all-rounder Ben Cutting believes that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) were put on the back foot right from the first over of their run-chase by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowlers. He suggested that the Mayank Agarwal-led side were never in contention to win the contest.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo following LSG's 20-run victory over PBKS, Cutting stated that the chasing side failed to get partnerships going and kept losing wickets. He opined that they didn't get a chance to bounce back in the game once it tilted in favor of Lucknow.

Cutting said:

"It never looked like PBKS were in the game, right from the very first over. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and couldn't put partnerships together. We saw the ball move around when it was new and they could never really come back from there."

Speaking in the video, former cricketer Daniel Vettori pointed out that the Punjab batter looked to up the ante the entire time, which ultimately backfired. He reckoned that while they have many seasoned campaigners in their lineup, they failed to deliver in their latest outing.

He stated:

"It feels like PBKS batters are switching gears all the time. Maybe that comes from not understanding what their roles are. I would be surprised by that because the likes of Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan are incredibly experienced players, followed by Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone. I think it was just a night where they couldn't read the surface."

After being asked to bat first at the MCA Stadium in Pune, LSG managed to register a below-par total of 153. However, their bowlers stepped up and performed brilliantly to help them claim a crucial 20-run victory in the clash against Punjab.

"I feel like PBKS might finish seventh this year" - Ben Cutting

The Punjab-based side are currently placed seventh in the IPL points table. Cutting predicted that the team might not make it to the all-important playoffs and are likely to finish in this very spot.

He highlighted that PBKS have struggled in terms of their consistency and he feels that the trend could continue in their upcoming fixtures as well. Cutting added:

"PBKS are 7th on the points table and that's the right position because they have played that way. They have hit a few games out of the park and done the opposite in other matches. I don't see that changing anytime in the next couple of games. I feel like they might finish 7th this year."

Punjab have four wins to their name from nine matches this season. With the latest edition of the IPL being a 10-team affair, they will have to stage a turnaround during the second half of the competition if they have to finish in the top four.