'We could not adapt to the home conditions' - Sanjay Bangar opens up on Punjab Kings' poor IPL 2024 season

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season was one to forget for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) as they finished in ninth position in the standings with just five wins from their 14 games. As the campaign wrapped up, PBKS head coach Sanjay Bangar reflected on where it all went wrong for his side.

PBKS's struggles were summarised by their four-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their final league match on Sunday. It left them with a disappointing 10 points after an up-and-down season.

The main issue, according to Bangar, was PBKS's inability to win at their home ground in Mullanpur. “We could not adapt to the home conditions. We won four out of the seven away matches but out of the seven home matches we just managed to win one. So, if a team has to progress in a tournament, certainly that is a worrying aspect,” Bangar said at the post-match press conference.

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The two close games we lost hurt us: Sanjay Bangar

PBKS hit a rough patch midway through the season, losing four home games in a row as well as two other close matches. “The four games we lost back-to-back through midseason, all of their home matches, and the two close games we lost, hurt us. In some matches that went down the wire, we could not win the crucial moments. If you leave so many things to be done in the later half of the season then it’s always a challenge,” he added.

The former Indian batter did take some positives from the performances of PBKS's young Indian batters like Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, and Ashutosh Sharma. But he admitted the losses of overseas stars like Liam Livingstone and Kagiso Rabada significantly impacted the side.

“If you look at the performances of the domestic batsmen Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, and Ashutosh Sharma, those are the real positives for us as far as our season goes in the batting department,” he further added.

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“When we went to the auction, the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) had made it clear that all the players would be available. It is just that it so happens that the tournament got slightly extended, I would say, because of multiple reasons. Everybody was in a similar position but we lost those English players,” he continued.

While the injuries were problematic, Bangar made it clear that it is not the sole reason for their below-par season. PBKS will have to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to translate their away form to home games if they want to contend for the IPL title in 2025.