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In the game between the Gujrat Titans and Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, PBKS pulled off the most successful run-chase of this season. All-rounder Shashank Singh was the hero, who smashed an unbeaten 61 off-29 deliveries with six boundaries and four sixes as PBKS chased down the 200-run target. He was supported by Ashutosh Sharma, who scored 31 off 17 deliveries, notching a 43-run partnership.
After Shashank’s match-winning knock, Preity Zinta’s reaction was the talk of the town. She jumped out of her seat, celebrating her team’s second victory of the season.
During the IPL mini-auction last year, Shashank was ‘accidentally’ bought by the owner, mistaking him for another player. As soon as they realised this, the team wanted to back out but was not allowed to.
At the post-match presentation, Shashank expressed his desire for such a performance, but achieving it really felt great. He said,
“I’m still trying to sink in; I visualise these things, but turning them into reality feels great. I play cricket, and I bat at No. 7, but today I batted at No. 5. The bounce was very good; 200 goals were 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. I couldn’t get many matches before, but the management and the coaching staff here have really backed me, and I was very confident.”
He survived a very close LBW shout from Noor Ahmad when he was 1 off 2. He went on to play unbelievable shots, hitting all the GT bowlers all over the park. The Kings only had two batters among their five substitutes in a bowling first XI. It looked like a lopsided selection, but the man they chose played a massive role in the victory. Ashutosh Sharma, who was playing his first IPL game, looked at an equation that looked like 41 required off 18 and took it with brutal precision. He hammered Omarzai and Mohit for 24 runs in the 18th and 19th overs, which took the match away from the Titans.
