Amazing how Bishnoi is so young, yet his skill set is on another level: Markram

Following a five-run win in a low-scoring match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Punjab Kings (PBKS) batsman Aiden Markram praised young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, saying that he is amazed how a young player has such a wonderful skillset. 

Bishnoi accounted for wickets of Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and Abdul Samad and finished with figures of 3 for 24.  “Incredible. It is amazing how he (Bishnoi) is still so young and yet his skill set is just on another level. I really think he is just going to go from strength to strength," Markram said in the post-match virtual press conference

"If you look at the bowling unit as a whole, they were brilliant. (Mohammed) Shami started off with wickets in the powerplay, which is always crucial in defending a low score. And then for the two spinners - (Harpreet) Brar and Bish (Ravi Bishnoi) - to bowl the way they did was amazing," Markram said.

Markram, who replaced Dawid Malan for the second half of IPL 2021 says that PBKS will take a lot of confidence from this win. “It is not always easy going to a surface where, to an extent, you are expected to do well as a spinner or need to do well for your team to win. But for them to deliver the goods, under pressure like it was tonight, in a must-win game, was important for us going forward. We can take a lot of confidence too as a team,” Markram said.

Speaking of the surface in Sharjah, Markram said, “It speaks volumes if a guy like Chris (Gayle) is getting bogged down. It obviously means they are bowling well and that the surface is tough. But it's always nice being at the other end when he is on strike because you know he has got that ability to turn the game on its head. He struck a few beautifully tonight and (those are) encouraging signs going forward.”

“We were chatting about finding it quite tough and trying to set it up for the backend of the innings, which we ultimately didn’t do. But just knowing that you have got him, even Nicky P (Nicholas Pooran), explosive batters in your line-up, is a nice thing to have even on tough wickets." 

"They can change the game when they come off. Never panicked too much when they were at the crease because their ability and potential is massive,” he concluded.

With this win, PBKS move to fifth with eight points from 10 matches. They next take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (September 28).