IPL 2024, GT vs PBKS - 'Mistake' Shashank Singh Turns Out To Be The Game Changer

Shashank Singh after his match-winning knock against the Gujarat Titans [iplt20.com]Shashank Singh after his match-winning knock against the Gujarat Titans [iplt20.com]

Indian Premier League has witnessed some memorable games over the years. One such instance was the 17th game in IPL 2024, where the Punjab Kings snatched away a win from the jaws of the defeat against the Gujarat Titans. 

It was the Gujarat Titans who took the first strike, setting a formidable target of 199 runs, thanks in large part to a stellar performance by their captain, Shubman Gill. The home team seemed to have the game in their grasp, but the extraordinary performance of one man, Shashank Singh (61* off 29), turned the tide in favour of the Punjab Kings. 


The Auction Fiasco Involving Shashank Singh

This is the same Shashank Singh who faced an unwanted situation during the IPL 2024 auction. Two Shashank Singhs enlisted in the auction, and the PBKS owners needed clarification about the player they bought. Immediately after the hammer went down and Shashank became a part of the PBKS roster, the owners wanted to cancel the bid. The confusion was caused by another player of the same name who went unsold just before that. While news spread like wildfire that PBKS had brought the wrong player, the management cleared the air that they bought the one they wanted. 


Analysis of Shashank's knock

Returning to the game, Shashank has repaid the franchise owners' faith in him. He came out to bat at a stage when PBKS were done and out of the match. It needed an extraordinary effort from there, and that is precisely what the lower-order batter provided. 

Shashank walked out to bat at Sam Curran's fall. At this time, Punjab was stationed at 70/4 in 8.4 overs. The team's target at this stage was 130 runs off 68 deliveries at a required rate of 11.47 runs per over.


Most batters would have come under scoreboard pressure and thrown away their wicket in such a stage. But Shashank saw an opportunity in this. He played a counter-attacking brand of cricket and stayed unfazed under pressure. 

Balls
Runs Scored
Strike Rate
1-1026260
11-20
21210
21-2924266.66

Table- Shashank Singh's Innings Progression (every 10 balls)

When Shashank came out into the crease, the situation demanded him to score at a strike rate of over 190. The struggle of the other batters increased with each passing delivery. But Singh kept his strike rate over 200 at all phases of his knock and ensured that PBKS went past the victory line with three wickets remaining. 

Along with Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma deserves a mention. He scored 31 runs off 17 balls and played a significant role in this win. Shashank showed great maturity and briefly took the second fiddle when he saw Sharma striking the ball better than him. However, after Sharma's departure, he kept his composure and did what was necessary to take PBKS to their second win of the tournament.