Shashank Singh smashed an unbeaten 61 to help Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets in match 17th of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Shashank played the knock of his life, remaining unbeaten on 61 off 29 balls during which he hit six boundaries and four sixes to guide PBKS home with a ball to spare.
He was ably supported by Ashutosh Sharma (31 off 17) as the duo shared 43 runs off just 22 balls to raise PBKS’ hopes, which eventually came true.
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Chasing a big total, PBKS suffered an early jolt in the form of captain Shikhar Dhawan, who played on to a Umesh Yadav delivery while going for a shot through the cover region.
Jonny Bairstow (22 off 13), not in the best of form, was then cleaned up by Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad.
PBKS kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as the next to follow was Prabhsimran Singh (35 off 24; 5x4s, 1×6), caught by Mohit Sharma at third-man as the batter went for a heave against a tossed-up delivery from Ahmad only to get a top edge as PBKS slid to 64 for three by the end of the eighth over.
Shashank kept on using his long handle, picking up a few boundaries and sixes to keep PBKS in the hunt.
Shashank held on to one end and brought up his 50 off just 25 balls with the help of five boundaries and three hits over the fence.
Shashank single-handedly kept PBKS in the fray with his pyrotechnics. He was ably supported by Ashutosh as the duo snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Earlier, Shubman Gill led from the front with an unbeaten fifty to steer Gujarat Giants to an imposing 199/4.
Gill made 89 off 48 balls, the highest individual score this season so far, and in the process hit six fours and four sixes to guide GT’s innings, which was also helped generously by B Sai Sudharsan’s 19-ball 33 and Rahul Tewatia’s 8-ball 23.
Sent into bat, opener Gill made a rousing start to the innings as he clobbered spinner Harpreet Brar straight over his head for the first six of the match.
Runs flowed for GT till the third over before Kagiso Rabada (2/44) ousted Wriddhiman Saha, latched by PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan at mid-off.
Kane Williamson (26 off 22), who replaced injured David Miller, looked in great touch as he hit Sam Curran and Rabada for a few boundaries to keep GT scoreboard ticking.
Gill led from the front and continued the flow of runs with his new partner Sai Sudharsan.
Sudharsan’s cameo of 33 came to an end when Harshal Patel snared him, caught by wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma as the batter went for an uppercut off a slow delivery.
Gill brought up his fifty off 31 balls with a boundary behind deep square leg in the 15th over.
Gill was at his imperious best in front of the wicket as he dispatched Harshal over long-on for a maximum in the 17th over.
While Gill was going all guns blazing from one end, Vijay Shankar was flat and was caught by a diving Brar at long-off off Rabada.
In his second spell, Harshal was wayward with his lengths and Tewatia made good use of it as the penultimate over yielded 20 runs.
Tewatia played a blinder, including two boundaries of pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last two balls.