Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Match 17 saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeat Gujarat Titans (GT) in a suspenseful thriller. Although the Titans were predicted to win, the Kings pulled off an amazing triumph thanks to an unexpected Shashank Singh storm in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat Titans (GT), having lost the toss, were asked to bat first. However, they were dealt a blow right away when Wriddhiman Saha was dismissed. But Kane Williamson and Shubman Gill kept the scoreboard moving, guaranteeing a potent powerplay. The GT captain, who reached his first fifty of the year, stayed till the very end, while Sai Sudharsan left after making an outstanding cameo appearance.
PBKS set a 200-run target thanks to another outstanding finish from Rahul Tewatia. With the dismissal of the opposition captain, Shikhar Dhawan, GT set a very competitive early pace. After Noor Ahmed’s outstanding spell placed GT in control, things swiftly turned around thanks to a knock that impact sub Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh played that will be remembered for a very long time.
Punjab Kings vs. GT: 50 runs in 5.4 overs in the second inning
Mohit Sharma, GT’s impact replacement, immediately replaced Tewatia. PBKS got off to an ideal start thanks to two boundaries in the first over from Johnny Bairstow, but they lost captain Shikhar Dhawan for just one run. As GT’s first wicket was taken, Umesh Yadav broke the record for most wickets against a single opponent with 34.
Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh remained resilient in the face of pressure. But Noor Ahmed, who came in during the last over of the powerplay, dismissed the English batsman with the first ball of his career. When Prabhsimran struck Noor for a boundary, PBKS crossed the 50-run threshold.
Also read: IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans 1st Innings Highlights against PBKS in Match 17
Punjab Kings 64/3 (7.2 overs) at the first strategic timeout
The PBKS batters were under pressure from Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed, the spin duo, who attacked from both ends. After Noor had taken his second wicket, Prabhsimran (35 off 24 balls), the umpire indicated the first strategic break in the ninth over.
100 runs in 11 overs for the Punjab Kings
In the ninth over, PBKS lost another wicket, and their situation became more worse. With a daunting assignment ahead of him, big hitter Shashank Singh took to the field. Against Noor, Shashank began his slaughter with a six. In the eleventh over, he punished Umesh Yadav with three boundaries in a row. The scoreboard showed 100/4 after the last delivery, which went for a four. With 17 runs off that over, PBKS was able to regain momentum.
Second strategic time out: Punjab Kings 150/3 (fifteen overs).
With back-to-back sixes from Jitesh Sharma off Rashid Khan, PBKS reached 150 in style. But to put his team back on track, the Afghan spinner won the battle by dismissing the wicketkeeper batsman on the very next ball (15.3). Ashutosh Sharma, Punjab’s Impact Sub, was brought in for the second strategic timeout.
With 25 balls, Shashank Singh scored a half-century.
In the eighteenth over, Shashank hit a single to record his first-ever IPL fifty. With just 25 balls, he accomplished the incredible achievement that introduced PBKS to the game!
Punjab Kings 200/7 at the end of the contest (19.5 overs)
Impact Player Ashutosh Sharma (31 off 17) was instrumental in providing Shashank with much-needed assistance on the other end. Shashank blasted Mohit Sharma for a six in the last over to cut the deficit to seven. Shashank needed 16 from nine balls. By getting rid of Ashutosh with the opening ball, Darshan Nalkande changed the course of the match.
Shashank, though, maintained his composure and moved closer to the finish line with a boundary off the fourth ball. A leg bye on the next ball completed the trick for PBKS, but a Super Over was still in the cards. With this victory, Punjab secured their second place in the standings.
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