IPL 2024: Punjab Kings Players Criticised By Fans For Not Celebrating Shashank Singh's 50
In a thrilling encounter in the IPL 2024, Shashank Singh stole the spotlight with an outstanding performance for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans on Thursday. Despite facing a daunting target of 200 runs, Punjab Kings' top order struggled initially, making victory seem unlikely until Shashank Singh stepped up to the challenge.
Forming crucial partnerships with Prabhsimran Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, Shashank guided Punjab towards the target steadily. He remained unbeaten with a score of 61 runs off 29 balls as PBKS successfully chased down the target in 19.5 overs.
However, a viral video on social media showed a subdued reaction from the PBKS team when Shashank reached his 50-run mark in 25 balls during the 18th over of the chase. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra criticized the team for the lack of acknowledgment, saying, "Itna snnata hai (There is complete silence). Nobody has acknowledged this fifty. Even this team hasn't acknowledged... He has kept you alive in the contest. He is CPR for your team."
?Here's how netizens reacted to this moment from the match:
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Despite the muted response from his teammates, Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan appreciated Shashank's effort in the post-match presentation, saying, "The plan was to give a good start but I got out unfortunately... The way Shashank came in and hit those sixes, it was brilliant, the way he hit the ball, it looked effortless."
Following the match, Punjab Kings co-owner and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta took to social media to express her admiration for Shashank's mental fortitude, saying, "Today seems like the perfect day to finally talk about things that were said in the past about us at the auction... He backed himself and showed us what he is made of, and for that, I applaud him."
Zinta further added, "He has my admiration & my respect... So never stop believing in yourself like Shashank & I'm sure you will be the Man of the match in the game of life."
At the IPL 2024 mini-auction in Dubai, Punjab Kings found themselves in a peculiar situation when they secured the signing of uncapped all-rounder Shashank Singh at his base price of Rs 20 lakh, only to realize they may have targeted the wrong player amidst confusion with another Shashank Singh listed.?
Initially, owners Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta expressed uncertainty, but the auctioneer confirmed the deal had been sealed. Later, PBKS clarified that they indeed intended to sign the Shashank Singh they acquired and not the younger player with a similar name.?
CEO Satish Menon affirmed their satisfaction with the player's potential, citing his track record in T20s, including notable performances, despite missing out on the previous IPL season after going unsold.
Shashank Singh, a batting all-rounder, boasts a career tally of 815 runs at a striking 141 in 59 T20 appearances. His IPL journey commenced with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022, though he remained unclaimed at the auction preceding the last season, thus missing out on the action.
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