BCCI Secretary Jay Shah with India’s head coach Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup final at Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Indian cricket team will have a new head coach from the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on Monday but did not reveal who has been finalised to succeed the outgoing Rahul Dravid.

Former opener Gautam Gambhir is expected to succeed Dravid as the India head coach. The Cricket Advisory Committee has also conducted the interviews for the high-profile job and short-listed Gambhir and former India women’s coach W.V. Raman.

The appointment of a selector will also be made soon, said Shah, who is in the Caribbean with the India squad that won the T20 World Cup title on Saturday, beating South Africa by seven runs in the final.

“Both coach and selector appointment will be made shortly. CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. V.V.S. Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but new coach will join from Sri Lanka series,” Shah tld select media, referring to the Zimbabwe tour beginning July 6.

The Indian team is due to tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and as many ODIs starting July 27.

Seniors’ presence helped India

Shah showed his elation after India won an ICC title after 11 years here on Saturday. He praised the efforts of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who played a match-winning knock in the final.

Both the stalwarts announced their retirement from T20Is after the triumph and were joined by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in saying goodbye to the format a day later.

“It was same captain last year and same here in Barbados. We won all games except the final in 2023 as Australia played better. This time we worked even harder and played better to win the title.

“If you look at other teams, experience counts. From Rohit to Virat, all excelled. Experience makes a lot of difference, in World Cups you can’t experiment much also.

“A good player knows when to say goodbye to the game, we saw that yesterday. You look at Rohit’s strike rate, it is better than a lot of young players,” he said.

How does he see the transition panning out following the retirement of Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja?

“Transition has already happened with three greats retiring,” Shah said.

India, who had built a reputation of losing the big finals over the past decade, finally ended their title drought after losing two ICC finals over the last 12 months and Shah hoped the winning run will continue.

“I would want India to win all the titles. We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises.

“The way this team is progressing, our target is to win World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there,” said Shah.

On Hardik Pandya’s all-round performance in the World Cup and chances of him taking over captaincy from Rohit, Shah said: “Captaincy will be decided by the selectors and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were lot of questions over his form but we and selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself.”

India A to tour Australia

Shah also confirmed that an A team will be travelling to Australia later in the year ahead of the five Tests Down Under.

The BCCI is planning a felicitation after reaching India but the Hurricane warning has shut down the airport in Barbados indefinitely, leaving the victorious squad stranded.

“Like you we are also stuck here. After the travel plans are clear, we will think about the felicitation,” said Shah.

South African captain Aiden Markram (left) studies the pitch during a practice session ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket, final match between India and South Africa, in Barbados on June 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak

Not known for handling pressure well on the big stage, South Africa have pulled off close wins in this competition giving them a strong belief that victory is possible from any situation, captain Aiden Markram said ahead of the T20 World Cup final against India in Barbados.

India, a team full of superstars, will have to overcome the pressure of not winning an ICC title since 2013 while South Africa head into their maiden World Cup final having not been in that position ever before.

Ahead of the summit showdown on Saturday, Markram was expectedly reminded about the past when Proteas have crumbled under pressure.

ALSO READ: Revisiting South Africa’s painful past at ICC events

“Probably I just see it as a new game of cricket, to be honest. We all know India’s a great team. Us as a team, as South Africans, have been sort of trending in the right direction the last couple of years, but maybe not progressed in tournaments as far as we would have liked.

“So, an exciting occasion tomorrow against a good opposition in India, but a nice opportunity for us as the Proteas as well,” said Markram.

Both South Africa and India go into the final unbeaten with the former experiencing plenty of bumps along the way.

They barely managed to put it past Nepal and Bangladesh earlier in the competition. Even the low-scoring affair against co-hosts West Indies could have gone either way.

Markram said his players have got a lot of confidence out of those close wins and they won’t settle for a runners-up finish.

“There have been close moments in games that would have probably affected the result and we managed to win those moments.

“To have done them two, three, maybe four times throughout the competition so far has sort of given the team the belief that you can win from any position, which I think is quite important for a team to have that,” said Markram.

India might be overwhelming favourites for the title but South Africa too have a lot going for them.

They are keen to add a fresh chapter to the nation’s chequered history but the schedule has not given them time to think too much about the occasion.

“You play a game, you get on a plane, you fly, you check in at a new hotel and play your next game of cricket the next day. So, I don’t think there’s too much reflecting that happens.

“But it’s more the opportunity that we have of being in a final that sort of excites me quite a bit I think after the competition we will sit back and really appreciate what we’ve achieved so far as a team,” he said.

Markram asserted that irrespective of the result on Saturday, his team is “going in the right direction.”

“But yeah, we’d love to get to our first final and be able to win that first final. And hopefully in the years to come that can break the burden of what a lot of other people are saying about us as a team,” he said.

On the seven-hour delay they experienced in Trinidad due to the closure of runway in Barbados, Markram chose to look at the positives.

“Yeah, we’ve had a couple (in Florida as well). I suppose a lot of other teams have gone through similar things. And we joke about it as a team and say, like, we’re kind of used to it now.

“There’s no point sulking around and making it more miserable than what it might already seem to be. So, it was a slightly longer day yesterday (laughs).”

On the mindset of the team after the semi-final win over Afghanistan, Markram added: “…you say, ‘guys, we’ve still got one more step to go’. So, it’s not driven by coach or by captain. The whole unit sort of feels that and is driven by that.

“…sportsmen are highly competitive people and nobody would want to lose, and especially not lose in a final. So, I think there’s no sense that the guys are satisfied regardless of the result tomorrow. I think there’s still a massive hunger for us to go out and win tomorrow’s game.”

File picture of former England ODI captain Eoin Morgan
| Photo Credit: AP

India’s remarkable reservoir of talent and formidable depth within their squad makes them strong contenders to win the upcoming T20 World Cup, feels former England skipper Eoin Morgan.

India have gone with almost the same squad as they had in the last edition of the T20 World Cup while adding the likes of young Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal and Sanju Samson.

“The strongest side even with injuries throughout the tournament is India. Their strength and depth is absolutely incredible,” Morgan said on Sky Sports.

Also read | ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024: full schedule, dates and venues

“And it’s almost probably, we’re talking about who the players that were missed out in their squad of 15 because of the quality that they possess.

“They are favourites for me, the quality they have on paper, if they produce it I think they can beat anybody quite well in the tournament,” he added.

India were spoilt for choice as they were forced to leave the likes of Shubman Gill and K.L. Rahul.

“The only decision I would have had differently and if I was selecting the squad, I would have Shubman Gill over Yashasvi Jaiswal. I have played alongside him, I know how he thinks. I know how he works.

“I feel he’s a future leader within that side and I think in big moments, in World Cups the more leaders the better. Even if he’s sitting on the sideline, you still need inspiration from here and there, a sense of positivity.”

India head into almost every tournament as favourites but they haven’t won an ICC title in over a decade. The last trophy the ‘Men in Blue’ lifted was the Champions Trophy in 2013.

In the last edition of the T20 World Cup they were hammered by 10 wickets by eventual winners England in the semifinals in Adelaide.

“I think they can (win), because they have go to a stage now where Adelaide would hurt, recently losing the (ODI) World Cup at home to Australia in front of 1,25,000 Indian fans.

“The spinner will come into the game, the level of batsmanship will come into the game if the wickets slow down like we think. But also that excellence in power hitting is the point of difference for me. Shivam Dube has to play,I think he’ll set this World Cup alight.

Irony that only time India won T20 WC was pre-IPL: Atherton

Many argue that India’s cricket in T20 format has improved by leaps and bounds since the advent of the IPL.

But former England captain Michael Atherton pointed out that it ironical that the only time India won the T20 World Cup was before the IPL came into being.

“It’s also an irony, because everyone talks about the IPL and how it has improved India’s T20 cricket. The irony is that the only time they have won is pre IPL,” Atherton said.

India were the first T20 World Cup winners in 2007. Under the captaincy of the talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni, they had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan.

File picture of Royal Challengers Bangalore players Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik
| Photo Credit: Sportzpics for IPL

Premier India batter Virat Kohli has paid tribute to Dinesh Karthik after his retirement at the end of RCB’s IPL campaign, describing the veteran wicketkeeper-batter as a wise and honest person who lifted his spirits during a phase of struggle in the league’s 2022 season.

The 38-year-old, who joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru from Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022 for his second stint after 2015, played his last IPL match on Wednesday when RCB were eliminated by Rajasthan Royals in the playoffs.

“Off the field, I have had some really nice and interesting conversations with him. He is a wise man, and has great knowledge about a lot of things, not just cricket,” Kohli said in a special tribute video posted by RCB.

The little over 11-minute video features tributes from Karthik’s wife, Dipika Pallikal Karthik; his personal mentor, Abhishek Nayar; RCB assistant coach, Malolan Rangarajan; and fitness coach, Shanker Basu.

Kohli recalled the 2022 season when he averaged just 22.73 scoring 341 runs from 16 matches as they missed the final bus losing to Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with him. Even in that phase in 2022 when I did not have a great IPL season, I was really struggling for confidence,” he recalled.

“He sat me down a couple of times and just gave me a very honest explanation of how he saw things and maybe I am not able to see them myself,” Kohli added.

A veteran campaigner in the IPL, Karthik has been involved in all the editions of the league since the inaugural 2008 season and has represented six franchises, including leading KKR to the playoffs in 2018.

He ended with 4,842 runs in 257 matches with 22 fifties.

“I just like his honesty, his courage to go and speak to anyone about things that he really feels about. And that, I think, is the most special thing for me when it comes to Dinesh.

“And that’s something that I’ve always cherished about him. And that’s why we get along really, really well.”

‘A correct player’

Kohli also hailed Karthik as a technically “correct” and versatile batter.

“I always looked at Dinesh and felt like he was such a correct player technically that he could adapt to any kind of role that’s been given to him, and I remember watching him in the 2013 season where he got 600 runs or something and he batted brilliantly at three.

“I saw him play shots which were like ‘wow’. I think he’s done brilliantly to switch and become a renowned finisher.

“…I wish him all the very best for all his future endeavours moving forward.” Kohli hoped that Karthik would stay connected to the RCB franchise in some capacity.

“…because his expertise when it comes to cricket is priceless. I think he’s of great value to this franchise,” he said.

‘Hyperactive, confused person’

Recalling his first meeting with Karthik during India’s tour of South Africa in 2009, Kohli said at first, he found him to be a hyperactive and confused person moving all over the place.

“The first time I met him, I remember we were playing in South Africa if I am not wrong in the Champions Trophy 2009. It was the first time I shared the change room with Dinesh, and I found him to be very amusing, very… I would say hyperactive, confused person.

“Most of the time, he was moving all over the place, never stopping. That was my first impression of Dinesh.

“He is an outstanding talent, brilliant batter to watch and my first impression and the present-day impression are not far apart — just that he has become wiser and calmed down a lot,” Kohli added.

File picture of England bowler James Anderson celebrating a wicket at Lord’s Cricket Ground
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

When coach Brendon McCullum flew over from New Zealand to tell Jimmy Anderson, England’s most successful Test bowler, that his time was up, it was a tribute to both parties. That Anderson had the intensity to keep going and needed a tap on the shoulder spoke for his competitive spirit.

That McCullum flew nearly 18,000 kilometres to speak to the player told us of the kind of coach he is and suggested one of the reasons for England’s success under the great communicator.

ALSO READ | Will leave a huge hole: Stuart Broad on England’s bowling attack after James Anderson’s retirement

Contrast this with how the Indian administration has sometimes handled such issues. When the team was returning from the 1979 tour of England, the pilot on the flight announced that skipper Venkatraghavan had just been sacked. This was the first Venkatraghavan was hearing of it.

Fantastic figures

Anderson, who will be 42 in July, is likely to play his 188th and final Test against West Indies at Lord’s the same month. Only Sachin Tendulkar (200) has played more. And only Mutthiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708) have taken more wickets than Anderson’s 700. That he claimed 220 of them after the age of 35 and at a better average is indication that he got better with age. That, of course didn’t mean he would realise his full potential at 50!

For some years after his debut, Anderson carried two burdens. One, that he was effective only in home conditions where the ball swung, and two, that while he was capable of the magic ball any time, he seemed more enamoured by the dot ball. Yet, when England won a series in India after 28 years in 2012-13, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the difference between the teams was Jimmy Anderson.

Anderson said he had learnt the art of the reverse swing from Zaheer Khan, and in an interview once admitted that his famous wobble ball was a bit of a lottery since it was impossible to control. Few players have spoken with such honesty about their craft.

Yet, for all its dignity and humanism, it seemed incongruous that it needed a coach’s nudge before that obvious decision was made. Perhaps Anderson himself was relieved it had been taken out of his hands. Most sportsmen have an instinct for recognising when the time comes. But great ones sometimes don’t, because they have often come out of slumps in the past and think they can again.

Anderson’s five wickets in four matches in the Ashes series at 85.4 was a hint he refused to acknowledge. He struggled in India (except for a magical spell in Visakhapatnam), but kept repeating a variation of “I am as fit as I have been; I am at my best now”, statements he had made in the past.

Yet, even if he got his timing slightly wrong, it didn’t detract from his stature as one of the greats of the game. It would have to be between him and Glenn McGrath for the title of the finest bowler of their type in modern times.

McGrath hit his groove early, and finished with nearly the same average bowling at home or away. Yet it was Anderson who might win the argument as a player who asked more questions more consistently of batters who were conscious of the fact that the near-unplayable ball was just around the corner — and he could bend it as few could.

Reinventing

Anderson played for longer and reinvented himself periodically, cutting pace for accuracy and bowling with a grace and seeming lack of effort which is one of the game’s great sights. He was experimenting with a new run-up at 41. “His ability to keep wanting to improve has been extraordinary,” wrote his former captain and friend Alastair Cook.

Anderson has played 70% of all the Tests England have since his debut. That, for a fast bowler is an incredible record, testimony to his skill, fitness, hunger, success, consistency and ability to improve.

Should players be allowed the time and place for the final goodbye? It can be a tribute to long years of service (Anderson made his debut in 2003) as well as a profitable marketing ploy. Anderson’s time had come. He was allowed to choose the place. It is a happy compromise.

File picture of England fast bowler James Anderson, who announced his retirement from Test cricket
| Photo Credit: PTI

Legendary James Anderson is set for his final appearance in Test cricket as the upcoming home season for England will be the last for cricket’s most successful fast bowler, a report in U.K. media said.

Having become the first fast bowler ever to take 700 wickets in Test cricket during England’s tour of India earlier this year, legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne’s tally of 708 wickets in the format could be on Anderson’s target as he takes the field for one final run with the England team.

ALSO READ | Anderson’s success, and how the physics of swing bowling played to it

According to The Guardian, Anderson has been told by England’s Test team coach Brendon McCullum that they are looking at the future, with an eye on the Ashes 2025-26 in Australia, which means that end of the road is near for the 41-year-old.

England are set to play Tests against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home this year and one of those fixtures is at Old Trafford — Anderson’s home ground — and that game could be the last for the right-arm bowler.

The report said that McCullum flew especially from New Zealand to the U.K. to inform Anderson about his future over a round of golf.

Anderson, who has played 187 Tests for England in a storied career which began in May 2003 along with 194 ODIs and 19 T20Is, sits third in the list of all-time highest wicket-takers in Test cricket with 700 wickets, behind Warne (708) and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800).

File picture of New Zealand’s Colin Munro, who announced his retirement from international cricket
| Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters

New Zealand’s Colin Munro, a bruising top-order batter, on Friday announced his retirement from international cricket after he was not included in the national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Munro played one Test, 57 ODIs and 65 T20Is for the Kiwis amassing a total of 3,010 runs, but it was in the shortest format the left-hander made a name for himself.

In T20Is, he struck runs at an impressive 156.44 and the 37-year-old remains one of the handful of players who have made upwards of 10,000 runs across all T20 competitions.

The Durban-born cricketer has made 10,961 runs from 428 T20s, averaging 30.44 and striking at 141.25.

However, Munro’s final game for New Zealand came back in 2020 when he appeared in a T20I game against India at Mount Maunganui.

“Playing for the Black Caps has always been the biggest achievement in my playing career,” said Munro in his retirement statement.

“The fact that I’ve been able to do that 123 times across all formats is something I will always be incredibly proud of,” he added.

Munro said it was the right time to bid adieu to top-level cricket.

“Although it has been a while since my last appearance, I never gave up hope that I might be able to return off the back of my franchise T20 form.

“With the announcement of the Black Caps squad for the T20 World Cup now is the perfect time to close that chapter officially,” he said.

Could not find a place: Gary Stead

New Zealand coach Gary Stead had said that Munro’s name came up for discussion while picking the squad, but could not find a place for him eventually.

However, he will continue to ply his trade in various T20 leagues across the world.

Munro has some fine records against his name as his 14-ball 50 at Sri Lanka at Eden Park in 2016 still stands at the fastest T20I fifty by a New Zealand batsman, and the fourth quickest of all time.

He also has a 47-ball century against the West Indies to his credit in 2018, and at that time it was the fastest T20I hundred by a Kiwi, which also made him the first player to score three T20I tons.

File picture of India captain Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya
| Photo Credit: AP

Yuzvendra Chahal and Shivam Dube were named in India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The team, announced by BCCI on Tuesday, will be led by Rohit Sharma. Hardik Pandya serves as the vice-captain.

Leggie Chahal, ignored for India’s recent T20 assignments, was picked on the strength of good returns for Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing IPL season. Chahal is the only right-arm spinner in the squad, with southpaws Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav forming the rest of the spin attack.

Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj are the specialist pacers.

Also read | ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024: full schedule, dates and venues

Lucknow Super Giants skipper K.L. Rahul and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Dinesh Karthik were among the notable omissions. Karthik had harboured hopes of making the bus, after finding good form as a finisher for RCB.

Shubman Gill lost out on the opener slot to Yashasvi Jaiswal. Gill and lower-order batter Rinku Singh were named in the reserves. Rinku gave way to Dube, who has shown a penchant for big hits.

The tournament marks the international comeback of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. Pant, who last donned the India cap in December 2022, was forced into a long layoff after suffering a car accident. The 26-year-old has proved his worth in IPL 2024, making vital contributions with the bat for Delhi Capitals (DC) and showing athleticism with the ’keeping gloves.

RR captain and fan-favourite Sanju Samson is the second gloveman. Samson has shone bright for RR, batting at a strike-rate of 161.08 with an average of 77.

Keeping faith in Kohli

The selectors have kept their faith in Virat Kohli, who in recent times has been criticised for not keeping a high strike-rate. Kohli had dismissed these concerns after an unbeaten 44-ball 70 for RCB against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, stating that “it is just about winning the game for the team.”

Trust has also been placed on Hardik, who has struggled in his maiden season as captain of Mumbai Indians. Hardik has failed with both bat and ball, and has faced the ire of MI fans who are unhappy with him replacing Rohit as the MI skipper.

India commences its World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (New York), followed by the highly-anticipated clash against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue.

India then takes on USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.

Full squad

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.

File picture of Mumbai Indians bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who said he had to ensure he was not a ‘one-trick pony’
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

The IPL has made one thing clear over the years. There will be huge sixes, big scores, startling bowling figures, misreading of pitches, surprising results. But one thing won’t see as often is the memorable quote or the telling comment. Putting the ball in the right areas is the bowler’s favourite cliche while batters prefer to play it safe with: “I am taking it one game at a time — the idea is to go out there and enjoy yourself.”

But occasionally a line emerges that causes the kind of surprise a maiden over might. The essential honesty and self-awareness of a performer comes through, shining a light on himself while simultaneously making a comment on the format itself.

When the No. 1 batter in the world, Suryakumar Yadav says, “It has been two or three years, (I) have never batted against Jasprit Bumrah in the nets,” and explains why, “Either he breaks my bat or my foot,” honesty, self-deprecation and admiration for a teammate are rolled into one admission.

Dispenser of possibilities

With ball in hand, Bumrah is a dispenser of possibilities. After his ridiculously short run-up, will he deliver a ball over 145kmph, a yorker, one screaming past or staying its course, a slower delivery, any of which he can do without an easily discernible change in action? The viewer is as keen as the batter, but enjoys the comfort of distance.

Asked how he did it, Bumrah told an interviewer at the end of a match where he had taken five wickets that he worked hard, kept going back to watch himself bowl and ensured he was not a one-trick pony. He summed it up with, “There is no ego in this format.”

That’s an interesting concept. But in fact, there are two kinds of ego in competitive sport; one positive, and perhaps necessary, the other destructive.

“I know everything there is to know about my craft, no one can get the better of me,” is thinking that belongs to the negative kind of ego. “Batters might have worked out how to play me, I have to keep one step ahead of them with practice and experimentation,” is the positive kind. Bumrah, India’s pride, is talking about the negative kind that has no place in any format.

Importance of data

If you played (and watched) cricket in the first eight decades of the last century, chances are you look down upon computers and data analysis as unnecessary. “The only computer you need is between your ears,” the great Bishan Bedi said often. Recently, the equally great Erapalli Prasanna told a fan, “Data cannot help you bowl better. It adds nothing to your skill.”

This of course is correct. A leg spinner might know that a batter is weak against the googly based on the percentage of his dismissals to that delivery. But if he cannot bowl a googly himself, that data cannot help him.

Sport throws up so much data on a running basis that sometimes it can get too much even for the player. So when Sunil Narine, KKR’s opening batter says, “I have one role, and the less I know the better it is for me,” he is telling us how he clears his mind of irrelevancies. His strike rate after five matches is 183, and he is in the wonderful position of knowing that his batting is a bonus in a team where he is the leading spinner. Why clutter his mind, therefore? His role is clear: see ball, hit ball.

His 39-ball 85 against Delhi Capitals was the foundation of victory. He will fail on occasion, but even if he succeeds only forty percent of the time, he would have done his job at the top.

Few batters in the IPL have such clarity. A Rohit Sharma or a Virat Kohli might like to think their job too is ‘see ball, hit ball’, but they know that they have greater responsibilities. The state of the match matters, the job of blunting the opposition’s main bowler is theirs, their dismissal can demoraliSe those waiting to bat.

So there you have it. Three quotes, from a top batter, a great bowler and a leading all-rounder. There’s hope. We are not yet at the half-way stage.

Punjab Kings’ Shashank Singh celebrates the victory over Gujarat Titans during the IPL-17 2024 Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings cricket match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on April 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Vinay Soneji

In last December’s IPL auction, Punjab Kings bought Shashank Singh under confusing circumstances. There were two Shashanks in the pool and for a fleeting moment, PBKS thought it had bought the wrong player, tried to take back the bid before accepting him as one of its own.

On April 4, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the 32-year-old Chhattisgarh batter showed why it was a prudent decision. He scored a swashbuckling unbeaten 61 (29b, 6×4, 4×6) as PBKS chased down a 200-run target against Gujarat Titans with three wickets and a ball to spare.

Shashank was helped in no small measure by Impact Player Ashutosh Sharma (31, 17b, 3×4, 1×6) and Jitesh Sharma (16, 8b, 2×6). GT didn’t aid itself as Umesh Yadav dropped Ashutosh at deep square-leg when he was still on three.

Shashank, who came in at 70 for four, started by smashing Umesh for two fours and a six in the 11th over, before scooping Mohit Sharma over the ’keeper and lofting him over mid-off. It was in fact Mohit who kept GT in the hunt, conceding seven runs in the 15th over and six in the 17th.

But with 62 needed from 30, Jitesh carted Rashid Khan for two maximums over long-on and long-off, and in the 18th over, Ashutosh hit Azmatullah Omarzai for three fours.

Eventually Mohit too wilted under pressure, conceding 18 in the penultimate over. Seven runs were too little for Darshan Nalkande to defend.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, Shubman Gill was at his sublime best (89 n.o., 48b, 6×4, 4×6), and was assisted by B. Sai Sudharsan (33, 19b, 6×4) and Rahul Tewatia (23 n.o., 8b, 3×4, 1×6).

GT was initially hampered by slow approaches from Wriddhiman Saha (11, 13b) and Kane Williamson (26, 22b, 4×4), who replaced the injured David Miller. But Sai Sudharsan produced a breezy knock, peppering the entire arc on the leg-side with fours.

When the left-hander fell at 122 in the 14th over, GT was on the ascendency. Vijay Shankar sucked out some of the momentum (8, 10b) but Gill combined with Tewatia for a manic 35-run partnership off just 14 deliveries. The duo had seemingly knocked PBKS out, only for the away side to rise from the dead.