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Punjab edge Gujarat in thriller

cricket04 April 2024 18:11| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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A brilliant, unbeaten 61 from just 29 balls from Shashank Singh took the Punjab Kings to a memorable six-wicket victory against the Gujarat Titans in their IPL match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Replying to Gujarat’s imposing total of 199-4 the Kings seemed in terminal trouble at 70-4 and 111-5, but 32-year-old Shashank produced one of the innings of his life to secure victory with a ball to spare.

Ashutosh Sharma (31 off 17 balls) contributed just as much to the transformation in Punjab’s fortunes which seemed doomed for much of the run-chase.

Afghani left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad (4-0-32-2) dismissed dangermen Jonny Bairstow (22) and Prabhsimran Singh (35) with his mystery deliveries while countryman Rashid Khan (1-40) accounted for Jitesh Sharma (16) to make Punjab’s task even harder.

With 35 runs required off the final two overs Punjab’s hopes were desperate but the 19th over from Mohit Sharma cost 19 runs and captain Shubman Gill’s gamble to give the final over to part-timer Darshan Nalkande, with just seven runs required, did not pay dividends.

Earlier Gill’s composed 89 not out anchored his team to a highly competitive total of 199-4 after batting cautiously for well over half of his innings before accelerating brilliantly in the closing overs to finish unbeaten on 89 from only 48 balls with six fours and four sixes.

Sai Sudharsan provided much needed impetus in the middle overs with a stylish 33 from 19 balls (6x4) while Black Cap Kane Williamson, replacing the injured David Miller in the starting XI, contributed an aesthetically pleasing but pedestrian 26 from 22 balls.

Kagiso Rabada (2-44) claimed the wickets of opener Wriddhimam Saha (11) and Vijay Shankar (8) with bouncers, the first quick, the second slow, while left arm spinner Harpreet Brar opened the bowling and finished with the commendable figures of 1-33 from his four overs.

But Gill was the star of the show with his calmness under pressure and ability to score quickly without overly compromising or complicating his style.

Nonetheless, it was the brief but potentially crucial cameo from Rahul Tewatia in the final two overs which turned the total from a ‘par’ score into a very good one.

The aggressive left hander smashed three fours and a six to finish unbeaten on 23 from just eight balls.

Perennial under-achievers, Punjab, will undoubtedly derive huge confidence from a victory as unlikely as it might be important.

GUJARAT TITANS: Wriddhiman Saha (wkt), Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Kane Williamson, Vijay Shankar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Umesh Yadav, Darshan Nalkande

PUNJAB KINGS: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Jitesh Sharma (wkt), Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran, Shashank Singh, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

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