Shashank Singh, who was once thought to be a ‘mistake buy’, does the job for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Right after the auction, PBKS management pointed out that they wanted a different Shashank, as confusion arose because of the same name. Nevertheless, PBKS management showed faith in the player as he smashed 61* runs off 39 deliveries to get the job done.
Also Read: Who is Shashank Singh? Everything you need to know about PBKS' accidental purchase
At one stage, Gujarat were the favourites to win on their home turf. Batting first, skipper Shubman Gill started well as the youngster made 89* runs off 48 deliveries. Kane Williamson and Sai Sudharsan played important cameos, but the strike-rate seemed to be an issue for the New Zealand international. However, Rahul Tewatia towards the end smacked 23* off eight to help GT finish on 199 runs in the first innings.
When it came to the chase, Jonny Bairstow showed intent but got out after scoring 22 runs. Prabhsimran Singh took over the business and made 35 runs, but things were not looking for the visitors, as they were reduced to 70/4 at one stage. Following which, GT were expected to get the job done, but that’s when Shashank wreaked havoc. Impact player Ashutosh Sharma joined him in the middle and played a cameo of 31 runs off 17 deliveries, as PBKS won the match by three wickets.
1. Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi
‘Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi’ is what’s inscribed in the IPL trophy. It means when talent meets opportunity. That’s exactly what happened in Ahmedabad tonight. Two uncapped Indian players, who one might not have heard a lot about, have done wonders and helped Punjab Kings win their second match of IPL 2024. Shashank made headlines ahead of the IPL for things that were not in his control. However, with the bat, he has proved to be the finisher that Punjab lacked over the years. On the other hand, Ashutosh’s cameo was equally important, and it was ultimately because of the duo that Punjab got over the line.
2. Shubman Gill shows immaturity in captaincy
While the fans keep hailing Gill for his brilliant batting, his lack of experience as captain was evident in Motera. Despite Azmatuallah Omarzai and Umesh Yadav going for a lot of runs, the cricketer didn’t use Darshan Nalkande till the final over of the game. The young pacer was part of the first team, and yet not using him came as a shocker of a decision. With the batting, he might have got back his mojo, but the youngster needs to work on captaincy skill as well.
Also Read: Shot of the Day - Shubman Gill's majestic lofted drive dispatches Rabada's pace over the fence
3. What’s going on with Jitesh Sharma?
After having a terrific IPL 2023, Jitesh Sharma got into India’s T20I squad. He did reasonably well in the Indian colours and almost confirmed his berth for the T20 World Cup. However, the cricketer had a poor season in the IPL so far, which is concerning. He had the golden opportunity to finish the game tonight and prove his value, but he failed to do so. Jitesh eventually made 16 runs off eight balls, which isn’t enough at the moment, as the likes of Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik are also doing well at the moment.
Losing skipper Shubman Gill said:
I think a couple of catches went down, never easy (to win) when you drop catches. Bowlers did a decent job, when the ball is coming on to the bat, it's difficult to defend, I wouldn't say we were short (on runs). The new ball was doing something. 200 was good enough. We were right in the game till about the 15th over. always under pressure with dropped catches. With the way he's (Nalkande) bowled in the last match and with 7 runs to go, it was a no brainer for us. People who you haven't seen will come and play knocks like these and that's the beauty of IPL.
Winning skipper Shikhar Dhawan said:
It was an amazing game, very very close, I'm glad the boys did the job. The plan was to give a good start but I got out unfortunately but we were around 60 runs at the end of the powerplay, we kept building partnerships and Shashank came in and played really well. The way Shashank came in and hit those sixes, it was brilliant, the way he hit the balls, it looked effortless. He is playing in the IPL after a long time and he played so well. I will also mention about Ashutosh, he came in and played a good knock under pressure.
Player of the Match Shashank Singh said:
Still trying to sink in, I vision these things but turning it into reality feels great. I play cricketing shots, I bat at No. 7 but today I batted at No. 5. The bounce was very good, 200 scored by both teams so the wicket was fantastic. They are the legends of cricket, I don't see the names, I react to the ball and play my shots accordingly. Couldn't get much matches before, last to last year for SRH but the management, the coaching staff here has really backed me and I was very confident.
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