Once his partner had departed, it fell on Prabhsimran to keep the run rate at an acceptable rate for Punjab Kings (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

Prabhsimran Singh’s batting isn’t likely to win many points for elegance. Not that it would bother him.

The role assigned to him, and his opening partner Priyansh Arya, by the Punjab Kings team management is that of a battering ram, kamikaze-style operation, in which their survival is hardly a concern.

On Tuesday against Rajasthan Royals , the left-handed Arya was repeatedly found out by pace, with both full length and short deliveries, before he inevitably perished. Throughout his torrid stay – though his team would argue that an 11-ball 29 served the purpose – as he evaded the fielders and benefited from a dropped chance, he refused to acknowledge that an alternate approach was possible.…