IPL 2024: Shashank Singh proud of his effort after his heroics help PBKS beat GT

Shashank Singh played a blinder of an innings as he scored an unbeaten 61 off just 29 balls to help Punjab Kings (PBKS) sail over Gujarat Titans (GT) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Ahmedabad on April 4.

Walking in at 70/4 in the ninth over, with Punjab requiring 130 more runs to win in a little more than 10 overs, Singh soaked in the pressure of a steep target, ensured he kept a cool head, and played a cameo to pull his team out of the dumps.

Singh hit six boundaries and sent the ball beyond the ropes four times as he scored at an impressive strike rate of 210.34. He was rightly awarded the player-of-the-match for his heroics.

Speaking after receiving the award, Singh said he was proud to have turned his visualisation of helping his team cross the finish line into reality. “It is still trying to sink in. I visualised all these things, but when it turned into reality, I am proud of the effort,” he said.

Singh said he abided by coach Trevor Bayliss’ words about reacting to the ball. “Our coach told me to react to the ball. The wicket was very good, the bounce was good and 200 runs scored by both teams, so the wicket was fantastic,” he added.

He said he was happy to receive the backing of the support staff in PBKS. “You get experience, I couldn't get a lot of matches before. Here, (in PBKS), the owners and coaching staff backed me. I was very confident,” he concluded.

PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan lauded Singh’s effort and said he showed his class and kept the momentum going, when it was most required. “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. It was a magnificent knock. 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 captain said.