Kolkata, April 25 (IANS) Ahead of their key encounter with Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings' spin-bowling coach, Sunil Joshi, has praised captain Shreyas Iyer for his improvement against pace bowling this season. Addressing the media ahead of the match which will see Shreyas Iyer for the first time visit Eden Gardens after he led them to the IPL 2024 title and then was not retained, Joshi also shared his insights on players’ forms and team strategy.

Joshi began by acknowledging the comeback of the Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who took four wickets against the Knight Riders in their first encounter at New Chandigarh. "I think Yuzi is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history. Big-match players don't need to be reminded of what they are capable of. They can always make a difference. It's just the confidence and bowling in the right areas that help them perform strongly,” he stated.

The spin-bowling coach was also asked about captain Shreyas Iyer, who had helped KKR win their third IPL title last year, and his improvement while playing spin bowling.

“If you look back at Shreyas' contribution in the last 8-10 months, from the Champions Trophy onwards, playing not only against fast bowling but also against spin has become more consistent. He has shown hunger and is ready to accept every challenge he comes across,” the coach said in response.

He added, “For any player of that calibre, you accept every challenge, every ball. I am sure that he has done some great work behind the scenes, which is giving him results. It’s great news and also provides good momentum to carry forward as a leader."

Joshi also touched on the topic of overseas players and their present form in the tournament. Showing faith in the players, he stated that it was just a matter of one good game before they started showing successful performances.

While discussing if there was a possibility of any change in the squad or strategy based on the form of overseas players, Joshi said, “It's just a matter of one good game, either through bat or ball. Tactically, we need to see which player suits the opposition we are up against and how many match-ups there are. Keeping all this in mind, the captain, coach, and the staff derive a plan that is beneficial for the team."

Punjab Kings are currently positioned fifth in the points table with 10 points in the bag. Kolkata Knight Riders are in seventh position with six points from eight matches.