Veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Shashank Singh for playing a match-winning knock from a losing position in the Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) IPL 2024 clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT). GT posted 199 after being asked to bat first but PBKS successfully chased down the 200-run target in Ahmedabad on Thursday, April 4. Shashank then smashed an unbeaten 61 off just 29 deliveries to help his side win.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “When PBKS got to bat, they didn’t start well. (Jonny) Bairstow did hit four or five fours but Shikhar (Dhawan) got out, and then Bairstow. Prabhsimran Singh played well for a while but then Sam Curran got out. He hit the ball straight into the fielder’s hand. Then when Jitesh (Sharma) got out, I said that’s it, how would they win now? Noor had already picked up two wickets and Rashid Khan had an over left. However, Shashank came there, as it is said ‘Shashank Redemption’. He comes from Mumbai, went to Puducherry as well, and then came to Chhattisgarh.”
The Punjab Kings, who bought Shashank for ₹20 lakh at the IPL 2024 auction, originally thought they had bought the wrong player due to
name confusion as well. However, they later clarified that they intended to buy him only. While lauding Shashank Singh’s strokeplay and game sense, Aakash Chopra also appreciated Ashutosh Sharma (31 off 17) for playing a quickfire knock.
“He has a decent sample size of cricket. He once hit Lockie Ferguson at the Wankhede, if I remember correctly. He hit 20-odd runs in an over, he was very good. After that, no one, including Punjab, wanted him and we were thinking why because there are very few batters who bat down the order and he has the power, and he showed that power,” he stated.
“The sort of shots he played and the way he read the ball from the hand, the range and the game awareness he showed was absolutely outstanding. Singh is king, very good. Then came Ashutosh (Sharma) as an Impact Player. He got to bat at No. 8. You send a No. 8 player when nothing is left in the match. We saw the same cricketing smarts in him as well. This is a different kind of generation, whether it is Ashutosh or Shashank Singh. Both of them were absolutely stellar. Shashank was playing very well. However, if Ashutosh hadn’t played well, Shashank’s knock wouldn’t have been of any use,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
