Shashank Singh’s 29-ball 61 propelled Punjab Kings to a thrilling victory against Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Thursday.
Shashank’s unbeaten fifty, coupled with Ashutosh Sharma’s quickfire 17-ball 31, enabled Punjab to chase down the 200-run target with one ball to spare, overshadowing Shubhman Gill’s 89 for Gujarat.
Following his match-winning performance, Shashank Singh expressed his emotions, saying, “Still trying to sink in. Visualised all these things, but when it turned into reality, proud of the effort.”
Punjab captain Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and opted to bowl first. Both teams made one change each due to injury concerns, with Sikandar Raza replacing Liam Livingstone for Punjab and Kane Williamson coming in for David Miller.
Earlier, Gill’s impressive innings, supported by Sai Sudarshan’s brisk 19-ball 33, propelled Gujarat to a strong total of 199-4 in 20 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Rahul Tewatia’s quickfire 23 off just eight balls also contributed to Gujarat’s strong batting display.
In response, Punjab started strongly with Jonny Bairstow hitting three fours in the first over bowled by Azmatullah Omarzai. However, Gujarat struck back as Umesh Yadav dismissed Shikhar Dhawan with his first ball in the second over.
Despite a solid partnership between Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab suffered setbacks, with Noor Ahmad eventually breaking the stand. Singh’s innings of 35 off 24 balls and Bairstow’s contribution of 22 laid a foundation for Punjab’s chase.
However, it was Shashank Singh’s explosive innings of 61 off 29 balls, featuring six fours and four sixes, that guided Punjab to victory. Ashutosh Sharma, playing his debut IPL match, played a crucial role with his 31-run knock.
With this win, Punjab and Gujarat have both won two and lost two matches in the season so far. Punjab currently holds the fifth position in the points table, ahead of Gujarat in sixth place due to a better net run rate.
