PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan shared his delight after Punjab Kings pulled off a stunning victory against Gujarat Titans in the 18th match of this season’s Indian Premier League 2024.
In an electrifying showdown, the Punjab-based squad clinched a nail-biting three-wicket triumph against the Titans, marking their return to winning ways. Choosing to bowl first after winning the toss, Shikhar Dhawan’s team faced a challenging target of 199/4, courtesy of a stellar unbeaten innings of 89 runs by the Titans’ skipper, Shubman Gill.
The PBKS side encountered a bumpy start in their chase, losing their skipper, Shikhar Dhawan, early with just 1 run on the board. Despite promising starts from Jonny Bairstow (22) and Prabhsimran Singh (35), the team couldn’t quite steady the ship. At one juncture, PBKS found themselves in a tight spot at 111 for 5 in the 13th over, making their path to victory seem bleak.
However, Shashank Singh emerged as the hero of the hour, crafting a blazing fifty off just 25 balls to seal the win for his side with one ball to spare. His unbeaten 61 off 29 balls steered PBKS to their second triumph of IPL 2024. Not to be outdone, Ashutosh Sharma made a significant contribution with a swift cameo, smashing 31 runs from just 17 balls after being sent in as an impact player.
Following the intense battle, Shikhar Dhawan lauded the win as remarkable, showering praise on his teammates for their outstanding efforts. The seasoned opener specifically highlighted Shashank’s exceptional performance, emphasizing his effortless sixes that proved pivotal in the match-winning innings. Dhawan also took a moment to commend Ashutosh for his valuable contribution to the victory.
“It was an amazing game, very very close, I’m glad the boys did the job. The plan was to give a good start but I got out unfortunately but we were around 60 runs at the end of the powerplay, we kept building partnerships and Shashank came in and played really well,” said Shikhar Dhawan.
He further added: “The way Shashank came in and hit those sixes, it was brilliant, the way he hit the ball, it looked effortless. He started from No. 7 and is now showing his positive mindset. He is playing in the IPL after a long time and he played so well. I will also mention about Ashutosh, he came in and played a good knock under pressure.”
Following their thrilling victory, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have climbed to the fifth position on the points table, despite maintaining a negative net run rate. Their next challenge awaits against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9th, slated to take place at their home ground in Mohali.
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