Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Shashank's heroics made sure that our heart rates went up towards the end. And so the points table wears an exciting look with both Titans and Kings in the middle. That's all from us for tonight. Do join us tomorrow as well, when CSK take on SRH. Till then, take care! Ciao!

11:30pm Time for the presentation

Shikhar Dhawan Kings captain: "It was an amazing game. Very, very close. Boys did the job. Plan was to give a good start, but I got out early. We lost a few wickets early and Shashank came and played a tremendous knock. When you are chasing a big total, you have to keep the momentum going. Shashank showed his class. Magnificent knock. He timed the ball so nicely, it looked effortless. He kept his cool and finished the game. He started from No. 7 and is now showing his positive mindset. Ashutosh also came in and took the game well. The two young boys were keeping their calm and soaking the pressure."

Shashank Singh, Player of the Match: "Still trying to sink in. Visualised all these things, but when it turned into reality, proud of the effort. Coach told me to react to the ball. The wicket is very good, the bounce was good. 200 scored by both teams, so the wicket was fantastic. They are the legends of the game, but when I go to bat I think I am the best. You get experience, couldn't get a lot of matches before. Here the owners and coaching staff backed me. I was very confident."

11:14pm What drama! Kings finally stall their losing run, and it is the second-highest successful chase against Titans in the IPL. Kings steadily lost wickets at the start but what they did not fail to do was keep up with the asking rate. Prabhsimran and Bairstow first, Jitesh a bit, and then Shashank and Ashutosh at the end kept the hits coming and helped the side hunt down the 200-run target. What a platform the IPL is for these unheralded players. Two of them shine and take their team across the line. Did Titans miss a trick but not bringing in the sixth bowler earlier? Should they have promoted Omarzai with the bat, perhaps ahead of Vijay? Lots to dissect for them.

Shubman Gill, Titans captain, gives Mohit Sharma the Purple Cap: "Couple of catches went down. Never easy on a wicket like this when you drop catches. Difficult to defend runs in these conditions. The new ball was doing something. There are always areas to improve. I think 200 was good enough. We were in the game till the 15th over. When you drop catches, you will be in trouble. The way Nalkande bowled in the last match, we went to him for the last over. This is IPL for you - people who you have not seen will come and win games."

Ashutosh Sharma: "I would like to thank Punjab Kings for believing in me. Happy that our team has won. Personal performance happens, but main thing is for the team to win. [Mindset] Shikhar [Dhawan] has told me a lot of things mentally. I was like 'I will do it'. I have won games for my team, so I had the belief. Sanjay Bangar also believed in me, he spoke to me a lot during camps, and that helped. Back home, I had worked with Amay Khurasiya, my coach. He said you will do well when you get the chance."

19.5
1lb
Nalkande to Shashank Singh, 1 leg bye, They steal a leg-bye and Kings stop Titans' home-run! Nalkande spears it full on pads, Shashank looks to flick but gets it off the pads. Saha dives and stops it but it is not enough to prevent the single. Titans review, but the impact is also outside leg

Only midwicket is out in the deep now

19.4
4
Nalkande to Shashank Singh, FOUR, All the luck in the world is with Shashank tonight. Gets a leading edge that flies over point. He looks to whip a length ball across the line but gets the desired result. Not in the desired region though
19.3
1
Nalkande to Harpreet Brar, 1 run, Length ball on middle, off-pace, pulled to deep square leg. 117.1kph

He can bowl short anymore

19.2
0
Nalkande to Harpreet Brar, no run, Wide or no? Back of a length down leg, Brar gets in line but misses the pull. The umpire gives it wide but Titans review. Is it over his head as well? The TV ump does not think so. And he thinks the batter moved before the ball was bowled. So the wide call has been overturned

Gill has a hand on Nalkande's shoulders and shares a few words. Fine leg comes in, mid-on goes back

19.2
1w
Nalkande to Harpreet Brar, 1 wide, Banged short on leg, bounces way over Brar's head. Wide called

Harpreet Brar

19.1
W
Nalkande to AR Sharma, OUT, And CAN YOU BELIEVE IT Nalkande strikes first ball! Bowls it on a length well outside off, 109.5kph, Ashutosh has to fetch it from there as he looks to heave it across. Holes out to Rashid at long-on and he did not have to move an inch. Job done from Ashutosh though. Or so we think!

AR Sharma c Rashid Khan b Nalkande 31 (19m 17b 3x4 1x6) SR: 182.35

Only seven needed in the last over, Darshan Nalkande finally to have a bowl

Charan: "That flat-batted patiently waited six of Mohit's deceptive slow ball is highly underrated. "

END OF OVER:
19 | 18 Runs | PBKS: 193/6 (7 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 10.15, RRR: 7.00)

  • Shashank Singh57 (27b)
  • Ashutosh Sharma31 (16b)
  • Mohit Sharma4-0-38-1
  • Azmatullah Omarzai4-0-41-1
18.6
6
Sharma to Shashank Singh, SIX, Game, set, match? Shashank once again connects one off the meat to set the cheers going in the Kings' camp. Stands still against the back of a length ball outside off, 115kph, and heaves it well over deep square leg
18.5
1
Sharma to AR Sharma, 1 run, Full toss outside off, hit straight to sweeper cover
18.4
2lb
Sharma to AR Sharma, 2 leg byes, Low full toss just outside off, he gets across to scoop but gets it off the pads through square leg. The impact clearely was outside off and Titans do not review

This is now Kings' match to lose. They have a win% of 74 now

18.3
2
Sharma to AR Sharma, 2 runs, Back of a length outside off, once again he goes back and across and hacks it across. Sai Sudharsan does well and keeps it to two
18.2
6
Sharma to AR Sharma, SIX, Ashutosh picks up the slower one and deposits it over deep midwicket. Slower one on a length well outside off, 101kph, he gets into position early and hacks it off the middle
18.1
1
Sharma to Shashank Singh, 1 run, Full on middle, knocked down to long-on

Mohit for the penultimate. Titans have 71% ahead at this point in our win predictor

END OF OVER:
18 | 16 Runs | PBKS: 175/6 (25 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 9.72, RRR: 12.50)

  • Ashutosh Sharma22 (12b)
  • Shashank Singh50 (25b)
  • Azmatullah Omarzai4-0-41-1
  • Mohit Sharma3-0-22-1
17.6
4
Azmatullah Omarzai to AR Sharma, FOUR, Another short ball, another four. Sunil Gavaskar on air does not understand the logic of Omarzai continuously bowling short without having the field for it. Ashutosh goes for the pull but gets a top edge well away from short fine leg. 16 off the over
17.5
2
Azmatullah Omarzai to AR Sharma, 2 runs, Sai Sudharsan dives full length after getting to his right from long-off, fails to hang on. Full on off, smacked towards long-off but gets away
17.4
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shashank Singh, 1 run, Yorker on off, dug out towards cover and gets to his maiden IPL fifty

Akshay: "Looking at the worm, Kings seem to be above GT for the most part. Hope they get over the line. Much needed win for them."

17.3
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to AR Sharma, 1 run, Back of a length around off, he hits it through mid-on off the cue end
17.2
4
Azmatullah Omarzai to AR Sharma, FOUR, Ramped over the keeper now. Just the kind of start Kings needed. Omarzai bangs it short, in line of the stumps. Ashutosh jumps and gets it over the wicketkeeper

Deep square leg in place

17.1
4
Azmatullah Omarzai to AR Sharma, FOUR, Greeted with a four! He goes for the wide yorker outside off, Ashutosh outthinks him. Walks across and sweeps it over square leg

41 off 18. Mohit, Omarzai and Umesh to bowl one each. Omarzai now

END OF OVER:
17 | 6 Runs | PBKS: 159/6 (41 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 9.35, RRR: 13.66)

  • Ashutosh Sharma7 (7b)
  • Shashank Singh49 (24b)
  • Mohit Sharma3-0-22-1
  • Rashid Khan4-0-40-1
16.6
1
Sharma to AR Sharma, 1 run, Back of a length, outside off, looks like the slower one. Ashutosh waits before heaving it away towards deep midwicket. Yep, 116kph
16.5
1
Sharma to Shashank Singh, 1 run, Slower one, full outside off, he gets across, waits and then slaps it through cover. 99kph
16.4
1
Sharma to AR Sharma, 1 run, Length ball outside off, slapped to sweeper cover
16.3
2
Sharma to AR Sharma, 2 runs, A lot of airtime for the ball.... and Umesh drops it. He gets around from deep square leg, has his eyes on the ball but fails to hang on. Ashutosh plays the no-look heave across the line but is lucky to get away
16.2
0
Sharma to AR Sharma, no run, Back of a length just outside off, he looks to ramp it but misses

PBKS 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st13S DhawanJM Bairstow
2nd35JM BairstowPrabhsimran Singh
3rd16SM CurranPrabhsimran Singh
4th6Sikandar RazaSM Curran
5th41Sikandar RazaShashank Singh
6th39Shashank SinghJM Sharma
7th43Shashank SinghAR Sharma
8th7Shashank SinghHarpreet Brar

Indian Premier League

TeamMWLPTNRR
KKR1493201.428
SRH1485170.414
RR1485170.273
RCB1477140.459
CSK1477140.392
DC147714-0.377
LSG147714-0.667
GT145712-1.063
PBKS145910-0.353
MI144108-0.318