Following his fiery knock against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2024's match 33, Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting sensation Ashutosh Sharma revealed a surprising dream, to hit a sweep shot against the world's best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Sharma first caught everyone's attention with a dazzling cameo against the Gujarat Titans (GT), and since then, he's consistently made valuable contributions for PBKS. However, his defining moment arrived against MI. Batting at number 8, the right-hander unleashed his power-hitting prowess, smashing a blistering 61 runs off just 28 deliveries. His knock nearly steered PBKS to victory over MI at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
Ashutosh Sharma's heroics in vain
Ashutosh Sharma's knock against the Mumbai Indians was an exhibition of power-hitting. He launched a staggering seven sixes and two boundaries, leaving even the mighty Jasprit Bumrah unfazed. One of the highlights was a brutal six dispatched over the fence against Bumrah, arguably the world's best fast bowler. It wasn't just raw power, though. Capitalising on a free-hit opportunity in the 13th over, Ashutosh displayed remarkable skill and audacity. Bumrah's delivery strayed down the leg-side, and the 25-year-old batsman, dropping to one knee, executed a perfectly timed paddle sweep that left fans around the world in awe.
Ashutosh Sharma dreams big after stunning knock
Despite falling short in their nail-biting loss to Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings batsman Ashutosh Sharma confessed a surprising secret in the post-match presentation. He admitted to practicing the ‘dream shot’, i.e. a sweep against the world-class Bumrah, numerous times in the nets. While he successfully executed it, the disappointment of not converting his knock into a winning performance for Punjab Kings was evident. After the match Ashutosh revealed that it was dream to hit a sweep shot off Bumrah.
“It was my dream to hit a sweep shot off Jasprit Bumrah. I have been practicing these shots. It's a game of cricket so it's very common. we have to focus on our process. When I was playing, I had the belief to pull off a win,” Abhishek said after the match.
“Sanjay [Bangar] sir told me that, 'you're not a slogger; you play proper cricketing shots and you should focus on [honing] that'. It was that small statement and a show of confidence from him that made a huge difference for me and turned my game. I'm now just trying to follow that,” he added.
Mounting pressure for Punjab Kings
The loss to Mumbai Indians marked a disappointing turn for Punjab Kings. It was their fifth defeat in IPL 2024, pushing them down to ninth place in the standings with a mere 4 points. They'll have a chance to turn things around when they face Gujarat Titans next, returning to the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, April 21.
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