Shashank Singh, a player for Punjab Kings (PBKS), expressed that when he goes to bat, he adopts the mindset of being the top performer in the field.
The 32-year-old was honored as the Player of the Match for his outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 61 runs off 29 balls, leading PBKS to a three-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the 17th match of IPL 2024 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 4th.
The player hit six fours and four sixes while batting right-handedly as Punjab Kings chased down a score of 200 runs with one ball left. After winning the Player of the Match award, Shashank said his positive thinking helped him perform well when under pressure.
“They (senior players) are the legends of the game, but when I go to bat, I think I am the best, couldn’t get a lot of matches before. Here the owners and coaching staff backed me. I was very confident,” the batter was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The 32-year-old mentioned that it will take a while for the remarkable victory to fully register with him.
“(Win) 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 is very good, the bounce was good. 200 scored by both teams, so the wicket was fantastic,” Shashank commented.
During the chase, Punjab Kings were in a difficult position when they lost five of their players with the score at 111. However, Shashank partnered with Impact Player Ashutosh Sharma (scoring 31 runs off 17 balls) to contribute 43 runs for the seventh wicket, ultimately turning the match in Punjab’s favour.
“Shashank played a tremendous knock” – Shikhar Dhawan
After the exciting match, Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan praised Shashank for his outstanding performance under pressure. Dhawan, who was out after scoring just 1 run during the chase, remarked that Shashank’s superb batting displayed his talent and class as a player from Chhattisgarh.
“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,” Dhawan said.
“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,” the PBKS captain added.
Punjab Kings’ upcoming match in IPL 2024 is scheduled against SunRisers Hyderabad in Mohali on April 9th.
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