'I AM THE BEST': Shashank Singh, who was signed by mistake, sends message to PBKS after 29-ball 61

The Punjab Kings secured a thrilling victory against the Gujarat Titans in a riveting contest. Batting first, the Titans posted a commendable total of 199/4 in their allotted 20 overs, with Shubman Gill's brilliant unbeaten 89 off 48 deliveries leading the charge. In response, the Kings displayed remarkable resilience, reaching the target of 200 with just 1 ball to spare, courtesy of Shashank Singh's stellar unbeaten 61 off 29 balls. Shashank Singh's outstanding performance earned him the well-deserved "Player of the Match" title. The match, filled with exciting highlights, took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Shashank Singh believes he is the best when he comes out to bat  after his incredible knock against GT

On Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Punjab Kings secured their second win of the IPL 2024 season. Displaying resilience, PBKS successfully chased down the 200-run target in 19.5 overs, with Shashank Singh delivering an unbeaten 61-run innings to steer the team to victory. After joining the crease at 70/4, Shashank’s standout performance propelled the Preity Zinta-owned side to triumph. Recognized for his stellar display, Shashank humbly expressed pride in his contribution upon receiving the Player of the Match award.

“Still trying to sink in,” Shashank began his acceptance speech following the conclusion of the game.

The 32-year-old said that he visualised such heroic moments before the game, but the fact that it turned into reality made his chest swell with pride.

“Visualised all these things, but it was incredible when it turned into reality. I’m proud of the effort,” he said.

Shashank was originally positioned to come in at No.7 but received a promotion in the batting order. The coach advised him to play each ball on its own merits, guidance he flawlessly executed during his innings.

Also Read: Who is Ashutosh Sharma? Punjab Kings batter who hit 31 off 17 on debut

“The coach told me to react to the ball and to play on the merit of the delivery,” he revealed.

Shubman Gill shone with an unbeaten 89-run innings for GT, yet it was Shashank who seized the spotlight by guiding his team to victory. Shashank remarked on the wicket's quality, supported by the high scoring rate from both teams.

“The wicket is very good, the bounce was good. 200 scored by both teams, so the wicket was fantastic,” the 32-year-old added.

Also Read: Shashank Singh guides PBKS to thrilling win against Gujarat Titans

Despite facing a formidable GT bowling unit including Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohit Sharma, Shashank attributed his memorable innings to his mindset and approach at the crease.

“They are the legends of the game, but when I go to bat I think I am the best,” he explained.The PBKS batter has been around for a while now but has had to wait for his big break. He expressed that he felt supported by the Punjab side and that boosted his confidence.

“You get experience with time, but I couldn’t get a lot of matches before. Here the owners and coaching staff backed me and as a result I was confident,” he signed off!

(With PTI Inputs)