“Not really. The boys have done well. You have to acknowledge (Tushar) Deshpande, Akash Singh … They are leading the attack, a tough ask. On a wicket that was getting better with a little bit of dew, it was always going to be tough,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference.
Fleming admitted that Punjab Kings have a lot of big hitters and taking wickets and holding nerve became important.<\/p>\n
![\"IPL](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/42706777.gif\"\/ "\\"IPL")
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IPL 2023: Punjab Kings down Chennai Super Kings in last-ball thriller<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“You can find a lot of things to be critical. But you have to be realistic. Really good batting, some power batting from their hitters. It is a high pressure game and tough on bowlers at the moment,” Fleming said.
Deshpande bowled the 16th over during the Punjab run chase in which he conceded 24 runs which proved to be crucial in the final analysis. Punjab scored the required three runs off the last ball.
The CSK coach said the total of 200 was a very competitive one but CSK could have score more.
“We could have got a few more. The last four overs weren’t as productive as we would have liked. Any time you cross 200, we were well and truly in the game, The impact player has pushed totals up a little bit. Still a very competitive score,” he added.<\/p>\n
1<\/span>\/12<\/p>\n Show Captions<\/p>\n <p>Read more on TOI Sports<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Sikandar Raza pulled off a last-ball heist to help Punjab Kings beat Chennai Super Kings by four wickets in Chennai.<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Needing three runs off the final ball, Raza pulled to the vacant square leg area and ran three with Shahrukh Khan<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Punjab Kings chased down CSK’s 200\/4 and won the \u201cBattle of the Kings.\u201d<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Choosing to bat first, CSK had scored 200\/4 thanks to Devon Conway\u2019s 92 not out off 52 balls. <br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Conway (92 not out) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (37) gave Chennai good start, adding 86 off 58 balls. <br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Conway reached 50 off 30, including nine fours and a six. Conway then accelerated with another seven fours off the next 22 balls, adding 42 in the second half of his knock.<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Chasing 201, Prabhsimran Singh gave Punjab a rollicking start as he smacked two sixes and four fours off the 24 balls he faced. <br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Shikhar Dhawan contributed 28 as the duo put on 50 off 26 balls for the opening stand.<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>For CSK, Tushar Deshpande took 3-49 in four overs. <br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Despite Livingstone falling to Deshpande, Punjab continued on their path with a 10-ball 21 from Jitesh Sharma. He was Deshpande\u2019s third wicket, while Matheesha Pathirana bowled Curran.<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <p>Raza\u2019s innings then kept Punjab’s knockout qualification hopes alive.<br \/><\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On fellow New Zealander Devon Conway who has been in impressive form and scored 92 not out on Sunday, Fleming said, “Yeah, impressive. He just finds a way, doesn’t he. He doesn’t always look that good on the eye and other times he looks exquisite. “Quality stroke playing right through the innings…Pretty tough on the bowlers. The new rule is good on batters but is making it tough for bowlers,” he added. <\/div>\nIPL 2023: Sikandar Raza’s last ball heroics helps Punjab Kings beat CSK by 4 wickets<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
“He is just a player that finds a way. He has a game, he has a good strike rate, we are really happy with Devon’s contribution. Certainly the rock of the innings, we could bat around him.”
Fleming praised Punjab Kings wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, who played a crucial hand in his side’s win, and said, “Jitesh has been very impressive. He is a very good striker of the ball.<\/p>\n![\"Cricket](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/imgsize-23456,msid-99893360,width-600,resizemode-4\/99893360.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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