NEW DELHI: A scintillating unbeaten half-century by all-rounder
Shashank Singh
, coupled with his fruitful 43-run partnership alongside the equally aggressive
Ashutosh Sharma
, propelled Punjab Kings to a thrilling three-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League match in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Shashank blasted an unbeaten 61 off just 29 deliveries, while Ashutosh hammered a quickfire 31 off 17 balls as PBKS successfully chased down the 200-run target with one ball to spare.
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Shashank, who smashed six boundaries and four sixes during his knock, single-handedly kept PBKS in the fray with his pyrotechnics while wickets were falling at regular intervals.
After steering Punjab to victory from the brink of defeat, Shashank expressed that the sensation was still sinking in, emphasizing how his coach advised him on reacting to such situations.
"Still trying to sink in. Visualised all these things, but when it turned into reality, proud of the effort. Coach told me to react to the ball. The wicket was very good, the bounce was good. 200 scored by both teams, so the wicket was fantastic. They are the legends of the game, but when I go to bat I think I am the best. You get experience, couldn't get a lot of matches before. Here the owners and coaching staff backed me. I was very confident," Shashank said after being adjudged Player of the Match.
Punjab skipper
Shikhar Dhawan
also lavished praise on Shashank and Ashutosh saying the two young batters kept their nerves under pressure and finished the game.
"It was an amazing game. Very, very close. Boys did the job. Plan was to give a good start, but I got out early. We lost a few wickets early and Shashank came and played a tremendous knock. When you are chasing a big total, you have to keep the momentum going. Shashank showed his class. Magnificent knock. He timed the ball so nicely, it looked effortless. He kept his cool and finished the game. He started from No. 7 and is now showing his positive mindset. Ashutosh also came in and took the game well. The two young boys were keeping their calm and soaking the pressure," Dhawan said.
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