Punjab’s thrilling heist against Gujarat Titans was scripted by two unlikely heroes who refused to give in
On the evening of April 4, 2024, in Ahmedabad, the kind of game IPL fans crave quietly slipped into motion. Gujarat Titans had the home crowd roaring as Shubman Gill looked in sublime form. A well-paced 89* off 48 balls, laced with 6 boundaries and 4 sixes, helped GT accumulate a formidable total of 199 for 4. It felt like a great night to bat — perhaps too favourable for Punjab Kings, who were already struggling on the points table.
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When PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan chopped one back onto the stumps in the second over, and Jonny Bairstow followed after a few eye-catching shots, the chase suddenly appeared more like Everest than Aravalli.
But what followed wasn't just a comeback. It was a jailbreak.
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The Titans could sense an opportunity at 70 for 4 in the ninth over. Sam Curran had fallen cheaply, and Sikandar Raza also didn't stay long — both appearing uncertain against the disciplined bowling from GT's Afghan duo, Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan. With half the batting back in the hut and 130 more to chase, the match seemed to be slipping away from Punjab.
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But in walked Shashank Singh — a name more familiar in domestic circles than in IPL folklore until 2024. He didn't arrive with fanfare. He arrived with calm. And then chaos.
Shashank started off steadily, rotating the strike while keeping one eye on the scoreboard. But as the asking rate ballooned past 12, something clicked. He took down Mohit Sharma and Rashid Khan, danced down the pitch, and picked gaps with surgical precision. His 50 came up in just 25 balls — a blend of control and courage.
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And just as the crowd began to shift uncomfortably in their seats, out came Punjab's wildcard: Ashutosh Sharma, a debutant thrown in at No. 8 as an Impact Player.
Ashutosh, just 25 and full of flair, played as if he'd been born under floodlights. With 48 runs needed from 24 balls, he turned the game on its head. His 31 off 17 balls wasn't just a knock but a statement.
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Shashank and Ashutosh added 66 runs in 29 balls, pulling Punjab from the depths of despair to the cusp of victory. When Ashutosh finally holed out in the final over with seven runs still needed, a hush fell over the PBKS dugout.
But Shashank was still there — the anchor, the architect, the unexpected assassin. With one ball remaining and three needed, he remained ice-cool and carved the final shot past extra cover, completing a chase that will sit proudly in the PBKS archives.
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His unbeaten 61 off 29 balls, peppered with 6 fours and 4 sixes, didn't just win the game — it earned him Player of the Match.
It wasn't just the 200-run chase, six-hitting spree, or last-over thriller that made this match special. It was the story — two men who weren't supposed to be the headline acts, writing their names into the IPL's book of drama.
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Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. But on that April night, Shashank and Ashutosh turned uncertainty into opportunity — and then into legend.
