Punjab Kings pulled off a sensational comeback to beat Gujarat Titans by three wickets in the 17th match of the Indian Premier League 2024 at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.
Captain Shubman Gill registered the highest score of IPL 2024 by smashing 89 runs off 48 balls as the hosts posted a challenging 199/4 while batting first. But Shashank Singh's sensational 61* off 29 balls knock and impact sub Ashutosh Sharma's late cameo helped PBKS emerge victorious in the last-over thriller.
A win boosted Punjab Kings to the fifth position in the points table with four points in four games while Gujarat slipped a place down to sixth spot with two defeats in their opening four games.
Punjab Kings elected to bowl first after winning the toss and drafted Sikandar Raza in the place of Liam Livingstone. Gujarat Titans were also forced to make a change with Kane Williamson replacing David Miller in the playing eleven.
Wriddhiman Saha struggled to provide a strong start but Shubman Gill kept the runs flowing for Gujarat. Gill and Williamson added 40 runs for the second wicket with the latter scoring 26 runs in his first innings in 2024.
Gill and in-form Sai Sudharsan produced a quick 53-run stand for the third wicket but Punjab managed to make a comeback in the middle overs. Gill registered his maiden fifty of the 2024 season and went on to smash unbeaten 89 off just 48 balls.
Finisher Rahul Tewatia added a crucial 23* off 8 balls as Gujarat posted 199/4 in 20 overs. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada took two wickets while Harpreet Brar and Harshal Patel bagged one each for Punjab Kings.
Punjab Kings struggled for a strong start again with Umesh Yadav bowling out captain Shikhar Dhawan on just one run in the second over. Struggling Jonny Bairstow started positively with four boundaries but failed to convert a good start into a big knock again.
Prabhsimran Singha added 35 runs but Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma and Sikandar Raza failed to impress in a tough chase. But Punjab made a stunning comeback through Shashank Singh and an impact sub Ashutosh Sharma who added 43 runs for the seventh wicket.
Ashutosh Sharma smashed 31 off just 17 balls before losing his wicket on the first ball of the last over but Shashank remained unbeaten on 61 off 29 balls to secure a thrilling three-wicket win for Punjab Kings with a ball remaining.
Gujarat Titans Playing XI: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kane Williamson, Vijay Shankar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Umesh Yadav, Darshan Nalkande.
Punjab Kings Playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh.
