Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), whose batting was the biggest concern for the opposition, scored the second lowest score of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Indore. After Mumbai Indians's 87 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, KXIP's 88 is the second most disgraced performance by a batting unit this year.

The KXIP skipper R Ashwin isn't pleased with their performance, but he has not lost the faith in his batting yet. He is hoping that their batting line-up will come good when needed the most. Ashwin said that ‘good players come good at big moments’, something he experienced during his stint with Chennai Super Kings.

“The best thing is to forget the 12 games. I’ve been in a team like CSK where we used to do this all the time. We had batsmen who found the going tough throughout the tournament but went on to score a 90-odd in the final. That’s how it goes,” Ashwin said after the loss.

Punjab looks good on paper with KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Marcus Stoinis and Mayank Agarwal, who had a memorable domestic season. But apart from the openers, no one has stood up for the team. 

The Punjab skipper knows how to fight back and looking forward to a comeback in the tournament. They still have two more matches left. “I think we were very poor. It was a day when nothing clicked for us. But that happens,” said Ashwin.

“To be honest, we haven’t been one of the top champion sides in IPL. We actually punched way above our weight in the first half of the competition (this year). But things haven’t gone our way in the last few games. To be precise, I didn’t expect this. But I think it’s time for everyone to step up. We have lost three in a row. Mumbai is a place where there’s a lot of bounce and generally, the foreign batsmen love it. So I’m confident we will bounce back.

“We are desperate. Any team can be dangerous they are desperate,” he added.

Asked about Mujeeb Ur Rahman's injury update, he said, “His injury is quite serious. We will assess his fitness before the next match.”