Shashank Singh stole the show with a magnificent 61* off 29 deliveries as Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by three wickets in IPL 2024 on April 4. Staring down the barrel with 79/4 at the end of nine overs in a 200-run chase, the 32-year-old played one of the most memorable knocks of his career as he guided his side to victory with one ball remaining. With this win, Punjab Kings won their second game of the season and first on the road after losing two on the trot. For Gujarat Titans, this campaign has been a mixed bag and they fell to their second loss in three matches. A magical 43-run partnership between Singh and 'Impact Player' Ashutosh Sharma brought Punjab Kings close before the former saw his side through. GT vs PBKS Memes Go Viral As 'Accidental Player' Shashank Singh Helps Punjab Kings Beat Gujarat Titans by Three Wickets in IPL 2024.
Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans was asked to bat first by Punjab Kings' Shikhar Dhawan, and the former champions got off to a decent start on their home ground. Gill in particular, was spectacular and played an array of eye-catching strokes on all sides of the wicket, one of which included a lofted straight drive of Kagiso Rabada. He finished with 89* off 48 balls, the highest individual score this season, with six fours and four sixes. Sai Sudharsan also batted well for his 19-ball 33, while Rahul Tewatia slammed 23 runs off only eight balls.
Chasing 200 to win would always have been a tough task and things got even more difficult for Punjab Kings when they lost skipper Shikhar Dhawan early. Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh were the next ones to depart and Punjab Kings looked to be heading nowhere in this run chase. That was until Shashank Singh came and performed his magic. He not only found the boundaries consistently but also forged partnerships with Sikandar Raza, Jitesh Sharma and Ashutosh Sharma, helping his side win the game. Singh was 'accidentally' purchased at the IPL 2024 auction last year by Punjab Kings, but the franchise later issued a clarification. IPL 2024 Points Table Updated With Net Run Rate: Punjab Kings Move to Fifth Spot With Victory Over Gujarat Titans, KKR Remain on Top.
GT vs PBKS IPL 2024 Stat Highlights
#Punjab Kings recorded the highest-successful chase of IPL 2024 so far
#Shashank Singh scored his maiden IPL fifty
#Punjab Kings now have registered sixth 200+ run chases in IPL, the most by a franchise
#Shubman Gill has the highest individual score in IPL 2024- 89*
#Umesh Yadav now has the most wickets against a particular opponent in IPL--34
#Rashid Khan became the first bowler to pick 50 wickets for Gujarat Titans
Having returned to winning ways, Punjab Kings will now look to continue with the form and momentum when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans will aim to bounce back when they take on Lucknow Super Giants on April 7.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2024 01:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).