Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 10 (ANI): Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowling coach James Hopes said that the Dharamsala pitch is going to favour the pacers and that the team is excited to play at the venue for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. PBKS will play their first IPL 2026 match at their second home ground, HPCA Cricket Stadium, Dharamshala, against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday.
After winning six consecutive matches in IPL 2026, the Punjab Kings have now suffered three straight defeats and currently sit third in the points table with 13 points from 10 matches. They will aim to bounce back with a victory in their next fixture and strengthen their chances of securing a place in the top four.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the DC clash, James Hopes said the Dharamsala pitch traditionally supports fast bowlers because it offers extra bounce and sideways movement compared to flatter IPL surfaces. He added that the Punjab Kings bowlers are excited to play there after competing on batting-friendly pitches, as they expect more swing and assistance for pacers in the upcoming match.
“It does favour the fast bowlers historically just because there’s a little bit of sideways movement and a little bit more bounce than some of the other venues that we play on. So the guys are excited about tomorrow night. We have been playing on some of the pitches which we think have been pretty flat, so I think they’re excited to see the ball swing around a little bit and bounce a little bit,” he said as quoted by a release from the PBKS.
Reflecting on the team’s recent performance and the challenges faced, Hopes said the PBKS are positive despite recent defeats. He admitted poor catching hurt PBKS in their last match, saying dropped chances prevented them from restricting the opposition to a lower total. Hopes described the loss as only a minor setback and stressed that no team can expect to dominate throughout a long IPL season without facing challenges.
“We let ourselves down in the last game with our catching. If we take those catches, we could probably restrict them to a little bit more than 220 and come out on top in that game. It’s a little bit of a hiccup, but I think any team that thinks they’re going to go through this tournament and just sail for two months all the way through and not lose a game of cricket is kidding themselves. Our tournament for us starts now, I think,” Hopes said.
The fast bowling coach also lauded the leadership of Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer for their role in helping the team maintain a disciplined yet composed atmosphere.
“They just talk about team first things, doing all the little things, like preparing the right way, getting our plans in place, the little extra efforts in the field, the extra efforts with the bat, being that little bit more selfless with the bat, being that little more selfless with the ball. All things like that all add up across the season to a team environment which those two have created and to be honest, our group has a lot of fun,” he said. (ANI)
