The Indian Premier League has witnessed some memorable matches over the years. One such example was the 17th game of IPL 2024 where Punjab Kings grabbed a win from defeat against Gujarat Titans.
It was Gujarat Titans who struck first and set themselves a formidable target of 199 runs, largely thanks to a brilliant performance by their skipper Shubman Gill.
The home side looked to have the match in their hands but a one man standout performance by Shashank Singh (61* off 29) turned the tide in favor of the Punjab Kings.
Auction fiasco involving Shashank Singh
This is the same Shashank Singh who faced an unwanted situation during the IPL 2024 auction. Two Shashank Singhs entered the auction and the owners of PBKS needed an explanation about the player they bought. As soon as the hammer fell and Shashank became a part of the PBKS roster, the owners wanted to cancel the offer. Confusion was caused by another player of the same name who went unsold just before that. While word spread like wildfire that PBKS had brought in the wrong player, management cleared the air that they bought the one they wanted.
Shashank’s knock
Shashank came out to bat at the fall of Sam Curran. At this time, Punjab were set at 70/4 in 8.4 overs. The team’s target at this stage was 130 runs from 68 deliveries at a required rate of 11.47 runs per over.
When Shashank came to the crease, the situation called for him to score at a rate of over 190 runs. The struggle of the other batsmen increased with each delivery. But Singh kept his strike tally above 200 in all phases of the batting and ensured that PBKS went over the winning line with three wickets to spare.
Along with Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma deserves a mention. He scored 31 runs off 17 balls and was instrumental in this win. Shashank showed great maturity and briefly took second fiddle when he saw Sharma playing the ball better than him. However, after Sharma’s exit, he kept his cool and did what was necessary to lead PBKS to their second win of the tournament.
