Shashank Singh, who was ‘accidentally’ bought by Punjab Kings at IPL auction in Dubai last year, engineered the stunning turnaround to power the most successful chase of Tata IPL 2024 on Thursday. Singh’s courageous unbeaten knock of 61 runs from 29 balls guided Punjab Kings to score a three-wicket victory over invincible Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for match 17 of 17th edition of the Indian Premier League.

Singh walked in when the entire top order of Punjab Kings – Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow – were back to the dugout. The scoreboard read 70/4. Punjab Kings needed a staggering 130 runs from just 68 balls. Gujarat Titans were completely dominating the game. 

From the word go Singh displayed courage under fire. Some quick boundaries brought Punjab back in the game. But GT bowlers got Sikandar Raza and Jitesh Sharma proving it would be a tough task for Singh to maintain some stability. At that point Punjab needed to save wickets as well as accelerate the run chase. Enter Ashutosh Sharma. Proving to be a perfect partner, Sharma took some load off Singh. This crucial cameo not only got Punjab back in the hunt but also frustrated the GT bowlers. For the last over, Punjab needed 7 runs and GT skipper Shubman Gill decided to bring in Darshan Nalkande. 

The final over epitomized the essence of IPL cricket—a rollercoaster of emotions. It featured a boundary, the dismissal of Ashutosh Sharma, a wide delivery, and a review. Amidst all this chaos, Shashank Singh maintained his composure. It wasn’t until the very last ball, which prompted a review from the GT side, that the PBKS camp erupted in celebration. Ultimately, a leg bye was awarded. With this hard-fought victory, Punjab Kings have climbed to the fifth position in the IPL 2024 Points Table.

Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings: Scorecard

Punjab Kings

  • Shikhar Dhawan b Yadav 1
  • Jonny Bairstow b Noor Ahmad 22
  • Prabhsimran Singh c Sharma b Noor Ahmad 35
  • Sam Curran c Williamson b Azmatullah Omarzai 5 Sikandar Raza c Saha b Sharma 15
  • Shashank Singh not out 61
  • Jitesh Sharma c Nalkande b Rashid Khan 16
  • Ashutosh Sharma c Rashid Khan b Nalkande 31 Harpreet Brar not out 1
  • Extras: (LB-8, W-5) 13
  • Total: (For 7 wickets in 19.5 overs) 200 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-48, 3-64, 4-70, 5-111, 6-150, 7-193 Bowling: Azmatullah Omarzai 4-0-41-1, Umesh Yadav 3-0-35-1, Rashid Khan 4-0-40-1, Noor Ahmad 4-0-32-2, Mohit Sharma 4-0-38-1, Darshan Nalkande 0.5-0-6-1.

Gujarat Titans

  • Wriddhiman Saha c Dhawan b Rabada 11
  • Shubman Gill not out 89
  • Kane Williamson c Bairstow b Harpreet Brar 26
  • Sai Sudharsan c Sharma b Patel 33
  • Vijay Shankar c Harpreet Brar b Rabada 8
  • Rahul Tewatia not out 23
  • Extras: (LB-5, W-4) 9
  • Total: (For 4 wkts, 20 overs) 199
  • Fall of wkts: 1-29, 2-69, 3-122, 4-164.
  • Bowling: Harpreet Brar 4-0-33-1, Arshdeep Singh 4-0-33-0, Kagiso Rabada 4-0-44-2, Sam Curran 2-0-18-0, Harshal Patel 4-0-44-1, Sikandar Raza 2-0-22-0.

(With PTI inputs)