We're getting better every game, players are peaking at the right time: Brad Haddin

India Today

Punjab Kings' assistant coach Brad Haddin is happy with the team's progress in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) and said that they're peaking at the right time ahead of their clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 4.

Transcript

00:00I think for us it's excitement.

00:04This is the time of the tournament where you want to be playing your best cricket and I

00:08think if you have a look at what's happened over the last few games, we're gradually getting

00:12better and better every game and that's the one thing where I encourage the players to

00:16make sure you're peaking at the right time in tournament play.

00:20I thought last game we were really clinical with the bat and all you want is just little

00:25bits of improvement leading into the back end of the tournament.

00:30Well at the start of the season, the Ops were to make this the final step of the football

00:37time.

00:38How close are you there with this team?

00:42As I said, you just want to make sure you're getting better and better each day and each

00:46game and that's what this team's doing and I think what you have seen is a lot of our

00:51younger guys have started to grow a lot in confidence as the tournament goes on.

00:56You've got your senior players that want to be playing at this time in the tournament and

01:00they'll win your games but I think what's the most impressive thing leading up to now is

01:05our young kids are starting to respond and that's the most pleasing thing for us.

01:10Yeah.

01:11And your thoughts on the way the tournament has gone this year, it has not been as, we

01:21haven't seen as many big totals as it was predicted before the start of the tournament?

01:25Well, we've seen a few, we're still seeing, I think what happens there is just the quality

01:32of bowling.

01:33Last year we've seen some really steep totals and we've seen it at times during this tournament

01:40but I think a lot of credit has to go to the bowlers.

01:44They've got a good idea now on what the batters are trying to do especially with the sub rule

01:50coming in so the bowlers have done a lot of homework and I think that's what we're seeing

01:55now with the bowling drips throughout the tournament.

02:02Yeah, I like it.

02:04It gives the opportunity for another player to play and I think that's the way you've got

02:09to look at it.

02:10Everyone, you've got big squads, everyone wants to play and you can get the opportunity

02:15for one extra player to be in the mix to play because there's so much quality on the

02:21bench.

02:22You just have to look at our bench with Kuldeep Sen and guys like that, Yaz, and that on

02:27the bench.

02:28There's so much quality so the opportunity you get to play an extra player is priceless.

02:32Well, there's also the feeling that it may impact the odd on this negatively.

02:37Yeah, that was spoken about right at the start when it first came in but I don't think you've

02:43seen that.

02:44I think all-rounders are still gold in this competition and I don't think it's changed.

02:50There was a bit of talk about that but you're still picking your all-rounder in your team

02:55because of balance.

02:56And the inevitable question, did you watch Sudio and She's 100 or the highlights of it?

03:03Well, the whole thing was highlights.

03:06You didn't have to sit down for very long to watch it.

03:09It was impressive for someone at such a young age.

03:12It was extraordinary viewing.

03:14Extraordinary.

03:15He's a great talent.

03:17What did you like about his batting?

03:19The ball kept going out of the park.

03:21He was entertaining.

03:23And I think the one thing at such a tender age is the way he just played his game.

03:30He can get overawed.

03:31It's enormous competition in the IPL but the coach and staff have obviously done a good job

03:36to hold him back and get him into the tournament and wow.

03:41It was great to watch.

03:42And they're the stories you want from my appeal.

03:45Do you think the weather could have some say in the match game tomorrow or could it affect

03:51the ball in a bit, do you think?

03:53Yeah, it looks like it could.

03:55We've just got to hope that we have a clear day tomorrow.

03:59And more importantly, the spectators get a good contest.

04:04We get great support here when we come and we expect no different tomorrow.

04:10So from everyone's point of view, you don't like to see rain affected games.

04:14You like to see the full quota and the best team win.

04:18So fingers crossed we get that tomorrow.

04:20And have you had a look at the weekend so far?

04:22We only had a quick look then.

04:24The curator said he's done all the work he needs to.

04:28There'll be a bit of heavy roll in, get the covers off.

04:31But it looked another really good surface.

04:33You played around the world.

04:35Where would you rank this in terms of sheer beauty?

04:38It's right up the top.

04:41The first thing you do, you just have to watch the players as soon as they walk out.

04:45They've all got their phone and especially the foreign players that haven't walked out of that

04:50changed room before.

04:51It's actually breathtaking.

04:53And it's something we say to the players.

04:56You get great opportunities in the IPL and to travel the world with international cricket.

05:01But enjoy these moments on special grounds like this.

05:04And that's one thing we speak to our players a lot.

05:07You've got to enjoy this moment.

05:09Walk out there and take a feel of it.

05:13Take a minute to yourself and look around because it's such a beautiful place to play.

05:18And how do you view your rivals tomorrow?

05:21They've got match winners everywhere.

05:24You just have to look at their batting.

05:26They've got guys that, if we're not on song, can take the game away from us inside three,

05:31four overs.

05:32They've got some genuine pace coming back now with the ball.

05:35So they're starting to get a full complement of players.

05:38So, yeah, it's a big game for both teams.

05:41But the one thing they have, they've got some star power across the whole team.

05:46One last question on behalf of local media.

05:49You had great sport in Oolabur this time.

05:52So how are you looking forward to the home sport here over the next one week?

05:55Well, if anything's to go on how it's been since we've been here, the support's been outstanding.

06:00I know most of the guys have gone up for a walk through the hills and up the shops

06:05and found some nice coffee and been to the temples and things.

06:09And the support's been overwhelming.

06:11And I think that's why we do bring some games here is the support.

06:15The love for our team here is just like it is back at Chandigarh.

06:20So our boys are excited to play in one of the most iconic grounds in the world.

06:26So let's hope they put on a show.

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