Punjab Kings have started feeling the brunt of the defeat against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous match after starting the new IPL season on a positive note. The team’s recent dip in form has seen them concede a few losses which eventually led to them slipping to a dismal seventh position on the points table.

As they prepare to lock horns with Delhi Capitals on Wednesday, their South African pacer Kagiso Rabada said that it’s never an ideal situation when the batsmen are going through a good phase and perform well in patches, adding that not putting enough runs on the board was eventually putting pressure on the bowlers.

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Three players fell for duck in the game against SRH, with Liam Livingstone being the only standout batter for PBKS, scoring 60 runs off 33 balls. PBKS innings finally got restricted at 151 at the DY Patil Stadium ground, with the Kane Williamson-led SRH deciding the outcome of the match in just 18.5 overs to notch up a seven-wicket win.

With three wins in six games, PBKS now have six points.

Rabada, who had dismissed Williamson for just 3 off 9 balls to give PBKS hope to successfully defend the total early on, said, “I think we’re just batting well in patches. We lost early wickets. Livi (Livingstone) brought us back. If you see, we went from around 60/4 to about 130/4 in the middle if I’m not mistaken. We’ve batted well in that patch. It is never ideal when you lose four wickets in the last over. We’re batting well in patches. If we can just glue it together, we’ll be okay.”

PBKS bowlers have been criticised for taking the game too deep before sealing the win against Mumbai Indians, but Kagiso Rabada stood up for the bowlers and saw nothing wrong in it.

“Well, I don’t think there were any issues in the last game (against MI) because we won. I think (against SRH), we just didn’t have enough runs. Our batters, we have faith in them. To play a perfect game of cricket, both disciplines need to do well. But I think we didn’t bowl too badly, but we were trying to defend a total that was below par,” Kagiso Rabada said.

It was Aiden Markram’s unbeaten 41 (27 balls) that steered the match SRH’s way during their chase. Rabada opened up about what he felt during Markram’s stay at the crease. “He was just hitting the ball sweetly. I joked with him after the game saying I gave him a chance there, because I think he should have been run-out. But I guess luck was on his side. At the same time, he is hitting the ball beautifully, making the right decisions and is hitting the ball exactly where he wants. “I’m happy for him,” he  further added.

(Inputs from IANS)