Gujarat Titans (GT) were in control of the game when Rashid Khan ended Punjab Kings (PBKS) wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma's cameo in the 16th over. PBKS needed 50 runs from 27 balls with uncapped Shashank Singh and debutant Ashutosh Sharma in the middle. The impact player Ashutosh was given an early reprieve when Umesh Yadav dropped his catch in Mohit Sharma's number. The debutant made it count with a 31-run cameo that took PBKS to the doorstep of victory. Then set batter Shashank Singh ensured there was no anti-climax in the game to guide PBKS to a victory with one ball to spare. After the thrilling encounter, GT skipper Shubman Gill rued the dropped chances but lauded the uncapped batters for an outstanding display.
“I think a couple of catches went down, never easy (to win) when you drop catches. Bowlers did a decent job, when the ball is coming on to the bat, it's difficult to defend, I wouldn't say we were short (on runs). The new ball was doing something. 200 was good enough. We were right in the game till about the 15th over. always under pressure with dropped catches,” Gill told the broadcasters after the three-wicket defeat at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
‘The beauty of IPL’
Gill backed Darshan Nalkande ahead of Umesh Yadav to defend seven runs in the final over. Nalkande got the wicket of Ashutosh but Shashank held his nerves to finish the game. Gill was amazed by the beauty of the tournament which gives youngsters a chance to prove themselves against the heavyweights.
“With the way he's (Nalkande) bowled in the last match and with 7 runs to go, it was a no brainer for us. People who you haven't seen will come and play knocks like these and that's the beauty of IPL,” the GT opener said.
PBKS go past GT on points table
After Gill's unbeaten 89 went in vain, GT slipped to the sixth position on the points table with two wins from four games. On the other hand, PBKS registered their second win of the tournament and moved to the fifth place.
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