Punjab started their campaign strongly and went unbeaten in seven successive matches before their momentum disappeared completely. The team has now suffered five consecutive defeats, two of which came at Dharamsala, their secondary stadium. Ashwin believes that the move away from Mullanpur hampered the team’s rhythm at a crucial stage of the tournament.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin pointed out that the most successful Indian Premier League series have always relied on stability by sticking to one main venue throughout the season.“Let me ask you a question. KKR, CSK and MI, the three teams that have won the most trophies – 3, 5 and 5 out of 19 seasons, have won 13 trophies in total. SRH have won two trophies (Deccan Chargers and SRH). Count it as 15. Have these teams ever changed their home place?” Ashwin said in the video.The veteran, who previously represented Punjab in the Indian Premier League, said outside criticism often ignores the impact that changing venues can have on a team’s performance and preparations.
“Look, we can tell from the outside that Punjab is not in good shape, but because I was there personally, I know that is wrong. We won five matches in Mohali, then we changed the field and were eliminated from the tournament,” he added.Punjab Kings now find themselves under immense pressure heading into the end of the league stage. The team must win its remaining two matches to stay alive in the playoff race, but one of those matches is scheduled to be played again in Dharamsala.Ashwin believes the batting line-up struggled to adapt quickly to the different nature of the surface at the hill venue, especially while batting first.“So, I would say Punjab has definitely suffered back-to-back defeats, but they are not playing in Mullanpur; they are playing in Dharamsala, where the wicket is not good to bat first. The ball stays a little lower in the first innings, so it will take some time for them to adjust.”“Their batting order is scoring 30-40 runs less, or 20 runs less, because they have to adapt,” he said. “We can all say that Punjab is struggling and has suffered five defeats in a row, or that ‘this is what happens in Punjab’. No, they played two of those matches on a changed pitch.”Ashwin also questioned the logic behind Punjab being one of the few franchises forced to switch venues within a season while established teams like Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad continue to enjoy the consistency of playing all their home matches at one ground.
Which franchise has the best track record with an established home venue?