Match 58 of the IPL 2024 edition saw the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pull&nbsp;off an impressive 60-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday (May 9). With this result, RCB continue to stay alive in the playoffs race, with 10 points from 12 games, whereas Punjab are now officially eliminated from the tournament. During the high-scorer in Dharamsala, Virat Kohli made maximum noise with a brilliant 47-ball 92 and also inflicted a run-out with a brilliant direct hit.

During the PBKS run-chase, they started off well and were 114-3 at the halfway mark. Nonetheless, they were soon reduced to 132-5 in 12 overs with in-form batter Shashank Singh being joined by stand-in captain Sam Curran. With not much batting left, the duo had a herculean task to keep their side in the hunt and tried to push the game till the last over. A partnership started brewing between Shashank-Curran before Kohli's fielding, courtesy of his immaculate fitness standards, inflicted a run-out to send Shashank back into the pavilion.

It all happened on the fourth ball of the 13th over, by Lockie Ferguson, when Sam Curran played a short-pitched delivery with soft hands and called for two. Kohli, at the deep, covered a lot of distance and threw the ball at the non-striker's end as a direct hit resulted in Shashank falling short of his crease.&nbsp;

Here is the video of Kohli's direct hit:&nbsp;

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He's unfolding magic tonight 💫 
 
First with the bat &amp; now on the field with that outstanding direct hit 🎯 
 
Watch the match LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JioCinema?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JioCinema</a> 💻📱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PBKSvRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PBKSvRCB</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RCBTweets</a> <a href="https://t.co/6TsRbpamxG">pic.twitter.com/6TsRbpamxG</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1788628469464662353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-seniors-at-mi-dont-buy-pandyas-ego-driven-captaincy-style-says-ab-de-villiers-719853">IPL 2024: Seniors at MI don’t buy Pandya’s ego-driven captaincy style, says AB de Villiers</a>

Following Shashank's dismissal, who fell for a 19-ball 37, Punjab's chase fell apart completely as they got dismissed for 181 in 17 overs to lose by a whopping&nbsp;margin.&nbsp;Rilee Rossouw top-scored for them with a 27-ball 61 but there was not much resistance from the other batters.&nbsp;

Kohli, for his batting and fielding show, returned with the Player of the Match award. Talking about his knock, the right-hander started off positively and didn't slow down as the innings progressed -- despite a rain break in between -- to end with a 47-ball 92 (laced with 7 fours and 6 sixes at a strike rate of 195.74).

At the post-match presentation, Kohli said, "For me it's still quality over quantity. For me it works really well. Also, the understanding of the game allows you to practice less, just try to replicate what I have done in the past. Still aiming to improve aspects of the game that you want to get batter at. It's an evolving process. I brought out the slogsweep against the spinners. I didn't practice it, I know I have hit it the past. Always looking to expose that side of the field against spin. I know I need to take risks, it needs a bit of conviction. I have been managing to stay ahead of that thought. I am trying to keep up with the strike rate for me and the team."

RCB, with four wins on the trot, are in the seventh spot. The Faf du Plessis-led side continues to remain in the playoff race with two more games to go.

Match 58 of the IPL 2024 edition saw the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pull off an impressive 60-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday (May 9). With this result, RCB continue to stay alive in the playoffs race, with 10 points from 12 games, whereas Punjab are now officially eliminated from the tournament.

Match 58 of the IPL 2024 edition saw the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pull off an impressive 60-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday (May 9). With this result, RCB continue to stay alive in the playoffs race, with 10 points from 12 games, whereas Punjab are now officially eliminated from the tournament. During the high-scorer in Dharamsala, Virat Kohli made maximum noise with a brilliant 47-ball 92 and also inflicted a run-out with a brilliant direct hit. During the PBKS run-chase, they started off well and were 114-3 at the halfway mark. Nonetheless, they were soon reduced to 132-5 in 12 overs with in-form batter Shashank Singh being joined by stand-in captain Sam Curran. With not much batting left, the duo had a herculean task to keep their side in the hunt and tried to push the game till the last over. A partnership started brewing between Shashank-Curran before Kohli's fielding, courtesy of his immaculate fitness standards, inflicted a run-out to send Shashank back into the pavilion. It all happened on the fourth ball of the 13th over, by Lockie Ferguson, when Sam Curran played a short-pitched delivery with soft hands and called for two. Kohli, at the deep, covered a lot of distance and threw the ball at the non-striker's end as a direct hit resulted in Shashank falling short of his crease. Here is the video of Kohli's direct hit: He's unfolding magic tonight 💫 First with the bat & now on the field with that outstanding direct hit 🎯 Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB | @imVkohli | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/6TsRbpamxG — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024 × Also read: IPL 2024: Seniors at MI don’t buy Pandya’s ego-driven captaincy style, says AB de Villiers Following Shashank's dismissal, who fell for a 19-ball 37, Punjab's chase fell apart completely as they got dismissed for 181 in 17 overs to lose by a whopping margin. Rilee Rossouw top-scored for them with a 27-ball 61 but there was not much resistance from the other batters. Kohli, for his batting and fielding show, returned with the Player of the Match award. Talking about his knock, the right-hander started off positively and didn't slow down as the innings progressed -- despite a rain break in between -- to end with a 47-ball 92 (laced with 7 fours and 6 sixes at a strike rate of 195.74). At the post-match presentation, Kohli said, "For me it's still quality over quantity. For me it works really well. Also, the understanding of the game allows you to practice less, just try to replicate what I have done in the past. Still aiming to improve aspects of the game that you want to get batter at. It's an evolving process. I brought out the slogsweep against the spinners. I didn't practice it, I know I have hit it the past. Always looking to expose that side of the field against spin. I know I need to take risks, it needs a bit of conviction. I have been managing to stay ahead of that thought. I am trying to keep up with the strike rate for me and the team." RCB, with four wins on the trot, are in the seventh spot. The Faf du Plessis-led side continues to remain in the playoff race with two more games to go.

IPL 2024: Absolute brilliance! Virat Kohli dismisses Shashank Singh with a direct-hit in PBKS-RCB tie - Watch

Punjab Kings seamer Harshal Patel was all over the news recently for dismissing MS Dhoni on a first-ball duck with his signature slower one in Dharamsala in IPL 2024.

Punjab Kings seamer Harshal Patel was all over the news recently for dismissing MS Dhoni on a first-ball duck with his signature slower one in Dharamsala in IPL 2024. With 17 wickets from 11 matches this season, Patel is the second-highest wicket-taker, behind Mumbai Indians ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah (18). Ahead of a crucial tie against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday (May 9), Harshal shared his thoughts on the ongoing IPL performance and how he is preparing to excel at his job. In an exclusive chat with ESPNcricinfo, Harshal spoke in detail on several aspects, including idolising Bumrah as a death bowler and mastering the art of bowling Yorkers. However, contrary to his wicket’s column, Harshal’s economy is worrying for a bowler of his caliber, going over nine runs per over. Speaking on trying to maintain a balance between keeping it tight runs-wise and picking wickets at the same time, Harshal said, “I have sort of figured out what I need to do to be able to shut batters down when I need to, and there's a lot of skill aspects involved in that as well. I've been working on those skills consistently from even before the season.” ALSO READ: Co-hosting T20 World Cup will expand sports awareness and popularity in country, says USA Cricket Chairman Harshal said he hasn’t lived up to the expectations but wishes to follow Bumrah’s path of delivering this season – being economical and picking wickets. “I've not been able to consistently do it in the game, but I'm on the right path, and when it all comes together, I want to be as good as someone like Jasprit [Bumrah], because we keep talking about bowlers going at nine or ten an over and throughout this IPL, there has been one fast bowler [Bumrah] who goes for less than six most of the time. I challenge myself to be as good as him,” he continued. ‘Right execution is everything’ Picked as a specialist death-over bowler at the last edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia, Harshal admitted it’s all about executing his deliveries right, knowing in that case, he can bowl six deliveries on point without getting hit. “It again comes down to execution, right? Because I've proven this over and over: that when I execute [my deliveries successfully], most of the batters can't hit it. When I'm executing, I know I can bowl six in a row, and they still won't be able to hit. “They might get away with one, but they still might not be able to hit more than one. So, for me, that delivery is all about execution. And when the conditions allow me to bowl six slower balls, I will bowl six slower balls. I have no shame in being called a spinner who runs fast and bowls off-spin, which people have said multiple times - which is absolutely fine,” he added. Meanwhile, Patel’s PBKS is placed eighth on the points table with four wins thus far. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2024: 'I want to be as good as Bumrah' - Harshal Patel on mastering death bowling art

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has slammed MS Dhoni for batting as low as No. 9 during Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) clash versus Punjab Kings in match 53 of the IPL 2024 edition on Sunday (May 5). Locking horns at the picturesque&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK thrashed Punjab by 28 runs after defending 167 for 9 with ease. Sam Curran-led PBKS only managed 139-9 in return after opting to bowl first. Despite the win, former CSK spinner Harbhajan has slammed Dhoni for coming out to bat at No. 9.

Since the 2023 edition, Dhoni has been in decent form but has batted very low; at No. 6 or below. While many feel his fitness issues have&nbsp;prevented him from batting ahead, Harbhajan -- and many others -- expected Dhoni to come out early when CSK were reeling at 75 for 4 in less than 10 overs. He came out to bat at No. 9, in the penultimate over&nbsp;and was dismissed for a golden duck. Thus, Bhajji lashed out at the legendary captain for not taking more responsibility with the bat. He feels Ruturaj&nbsp;&amp; Co. should play an extra pacer if Dhoni has to bat so low, even after Shardul Thakur.

<h2>'Nothing happens without his permission and I am not ready to accept that...'</h2>

Speaking on Star Sports, during the halfway stage, Harbhajan said, "MS Dhoni shouldn't play if he wants to bat at the number 9 slot. It is better to include a fast bowler than him in the playing XI. He is the decision-maker and has let down his team by not coming out to bat."

He&nbsp;further opined, “Shardul Thakur came ahead of him. Thakur can never hit shots like Dhoni and I don't understand why Dhoni made this mistake. Nothing happens without his permission and I am not ready to accept that this decision to demote him was taken by someone else."

“CSK were in a need of quick runs and Dhoni has done that in the previous games. It was shocking that he stayed back in the important contest against Punjab Kings. Even if CSK win today, I will still call out Dhoni. Let people say anything. I will say what is right,” Harbhajan added.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-video-ms-dhoni-bowled-for-duck-by-harshal-patel-in-csk-vs-pbks-718210">IPL 2024: VIDEO | MS Dhoni bowled for duck by Harshal Patel in CSK vs PBKS</a>

Meanwhile, Chennai captain Ruturaj reflected on his side's first-ever win over Punjab in the last six meetings and said at the post-match presentation, "Everyone believed the wicket was slow. Even low bounce. Just that the start we got, we were thinking of pushing till 180-200. After losing wickets, thought 160-170 was a good score. Don't know what he's doing, but even in pre-season he was clocking 150kph (on Simarjeet). He didn't get too many chances, but it's never too late. Were thinking of going with an impact batter, but then we thought the batter will give 10-15 runs, but he could give 2-3 wickets. Some of the guys were struggling with flu. Weren't even sure till the morning who's playing or not. To get the win, really happy with that."

CSK are at the third spot with 12 points from 11 games and are very much in contention to qualify for the playoffs. The Yellow Army fans will hope for Dhoni to bat a little higher and continue to strike in the manner he has in the ongoing edition. In IPL 2024, he is striking at&nbsp;224.49 with 110 runs in 49 balls.

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has slammed MS Dhoni for batting as low as No. 9 during Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) clash versus Punjab Kings in match 53 of the IPL 2024 edition on Sunday (May 5).

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has slammed MS Dhoni for batting as low as No. 9 during Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) clash versus Punjab Kings in match 53 of the IPL 2024 edition on Sunday (May 5). Locking horns at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK thrashed Punjab by 28 runs after defending 167 for 9 with ease. Sam Curran-led PBKS only managed 139-9 in return after opting to bowl first. Despite the win, former CSK spinner Harbhajan has slammed Dhoni for coming out to bat at No. 9. Since the 2023 edition, Dhoni has been in decent form but has batted very low; at No. 6 or below. While many feel his fitness issues have prevented him from batting ahead, Harbhajan -- and many others -- expected Dhoni to come out early when CSK were reeling at 75 for 4 in less than 10 overs. He came out to bat at No. 9, in the penultimate over and was dismissed for a golden duck. Thus, Bhajji lashed out at the legendary captain for not taking more responsibility with the bat. He feels Ruturaj & Co. should play an extra pacer if Dhoni has to bat so low, even after Shardul Thakur. 'Nothing happens without his permission and I am not ready to accept that...' Speaking on Star Sports, during the halfway stage, Harbhajan said, "MS Dhoni shouldn't play if he wants to bat at the number 9 slot. It is better to include a fast bowler than him in the playing XI. He is the decision-maker and has let down his team by not coming out to bat." He further opined, “Shardul Thakur came ahead of him. Thakur can never hit shots like Dhoni and I don't understand why Dhoni made this mistake. Nothing happens without his permission and I am not ready to accept that this decision to demote him was taken by someone else." “CSK were in a need of quick runs and Dhoni has done that in the previous games. It was shocking that he stayed back in the important contest against Punjab Kings. Even if CSK win today, I will still call out Dhoni. Let people say anything. I will say what is right,” Harbhajan added. Also read: IPL 2024: VIDEO | MS Dhoni bowled for duck by Harshal Patel in CSK vs PBKS Meanwhile, Chennai captain Ruturaj reflected on his side's first-ever win over Punjab in the last six meetings and said at the post-match presentation, "Everyone believed the wicket was slow. Even low bounce. Just that the start we got, we were thinking of pushing till 180-200. After losing wickets, thought 160-170 was a good score. Don't know what he's doing, but even in pre-season he was clocking 150kph (on Simarjeet). He didn't get too many chances, but it's never too late. Were thinking of going with an impact batter, but then we thought the batter will give 10-15 runs, but he could give 2-3 wickets. Some of the guys were struggling with flu. Weren't even sure till the morning who's playing or not. To get the win, really happy with that." CSK are at the third spot with 12 points from 11 games and are very much in contention to qualify for the playoffs. The Yellow Army fans will hope for Dhoni to bat a little higher and continue to strike in the manner he has in the ongoing edition. In IPL 2024, he is striking at 224.49 with 110 runs in 49 balls.

'Include a pacer than send MS Dhoni at No. 9' - Harbhajan SLAMS CSK star for his batting slot vs PBKS

IPL 2024 has turned cricket into baseball, reckons Sam Curran, whose team – Punjab Kings, created history by chasing 262 in a T20 game with eight balls to spare against KKR at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

IPL 2024 has turned cricket into baseball, reckons Sam Curran, whose team – Punjab Kings, created history by chasing 262 in a T20 game with eight balls to spare against KKR at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. With what was on display on Friday (April 26) night, labelling that as out-of-the-world would be an understatement. Several records broke as PBKS completed the highest successful run-chase in all T20s, let alone in the Indian Premier League. While opener Jonny Bairstow returned to form with a blistering hundred (108* off 48 balls), Shashank Singh continued to impress, smashing a brilliant unbeaten 68 off 28 balls, hitting eight sixes and two fours. PBKS’ impact player Prabhsimran Singh also scored a fifty, while another overseas batter, Rilee Rossouw, played a handy cameo of 26 from 16 balls. ALSO READ: IPL 2024, Match 43, Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians – Match preview and result prediction Reflecting on the game, which saw a total of 42 sixes – most recorded in a T20 game, PBKS’ stand-in captain Sam Curran said cricket is turning into baseball with how it's evolving through T20 cricket. He also admitted that despite leaking over 260 runs in the first innings, Punjab deserved to win, given how they calculated and executed the run chase. Yesterday was one of those record breaking evenings in #TATAIPL and Captain @CurranSM has got you covered in his roundup 😎 Do you remember how many sixes were hit last night? 🤔#KKRvPBKS | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/Ct7mNz1SQw — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 27, 2024 × "Cricket is turning into baseball, isn't it? It was absolutely incredible," Curran said at the post-match presentation. "Where do we [start]? Absolutely delighted with two points. Games like that are out of the world, but most importantly we've had a tough few weeks as a team [this was the Kings' first win in five games], but we've really hung in there. We've taken teams down to the wire and, I think, forget about the scores... I thought we actually deserved victory,” he continued. Curran praises match-winners With already a lot happening this season in regards to bowlers finding nowhere to hide and batters going all out with their attacking approach, PBKS’ Bairstow found it tough to find a rhythm since the start of IPL 2024. Now, with him breaking the ice and scoring the crucial hundred for his franchise, Jonny looks in his element, and Sam sounded elated with this. "Really pleased for Jonny. He's obviously been on tour for a really long time," Curran said. "A couple of games out of the side, he looked like he came back really eager to score runs for the team and showed what an amazing player that he is. So, I'm really pleased for him." Speaking of Shashank, who has been the find of the season for PBKS, Curran said, that with him and Ashutosh Sharma (another gem batter), Punjab feel confident entering into every game this time. Clean Hitting to the fullest, ft Shashank Singh 😎 This match has now breached the Highest Number of Sixes Hit in a T20 Match 👏 Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #KKRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/3HPN6DLnPl — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 26, 2024 × "We gave him that extra bit of responsibility to go in and No. 4, and he's been the find of the season for us," Curran said of Shashank. "Him and Ashutosh [Sharma] have been absolutely incredible, and I'm just really pleased. Our group has been through a lot in the last couple of weeks, and like I said, take two points, and you're going to enjoy those small wins. And it's not a small win. It's a really big win to come to Kolkata and beat that team. Proud of the team, proud of the coaches and proud of everyone,” the stand-in captain added.

IPL 2024: ‘Cricket’s turning into baseball’ – Sam Curran reflects on PBKS’ record chase at Eden Gardens

Former India and Punjab Kings (PBKS, erstwhile Kings XI Punjab) batter Virender Sehwag has lashed out at PBKS skipper Sam Curran for being ineffective. The comments came as PBKS lost yet another game, this time against Gujarat Titans, in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 21.

Curran has been given the captaincy after Shikhar Dhawan was sidelined due to injury but hasn't been able to impress with either bat or ball. Sehwag, while speaking to cricket news website Cricbuzz, not only criticised Curran but questioned his place in the side as well.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-video-phil-salts-full-stretch-dive-wins-thriller-for-kkr-against-rcb-by-one-run-713852">VIDEO | Phil Salt's full-stretch dive wins thriller for KKR against RCB by one run</a>

"If I was in the PBKS dugout, I would not even pick him in my team, neither as a batting all-rounder nor as a bowling all-rounder. I wouldn't pick him", Sehwag said.

"A player is not of any use, if he can bowl a bit and bat a bit. You either bat properly and win us the match, or you bowl and win us the game. This bits and pieces part I don't understand," he added.

As for the match, PBKS could manage only 142 runs in exact 20 overs with Curran scoring only 19-ball 20 as an opener. GT had a bit of a scare during the chase as they lost four wickets for less than 100 in 14.4 overs.&nbsp;

Rahul Tewatia then scored unbeaten 18-ball 36 to take his side home in 19.1 overs. Curran the bowler was decent during his spell, taking 1/18 in two overs.

With the loss, PBKS' chances to make it to the playoffs took a severe hit as they have now lost six of their last eight games including last four at home in Mullanpur, Mohali.

GT, on the other hand, are now in the mid-table logjam with four losses and four wins in eight games.

Former India and Punjab Kings (PBKS, erstwhile Kings XI Punjab) batter Virender Sehwag has lashed out at PBKS skipper Sam Curran for being ineffective. The comments came as PBKS lost yet another game, this time against Gujarat Titans, in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 21.

Former India and Punjab Kings (PBKS, erstwhile Kings XI Punjab) batter Virender Sehwag has lashed out at PBKS skipper Sam Curran for being ineffective. The comments came as PBKS lost yet another game, this time against Gujarat Titans, in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 21. Curran has been given the captaincy after Shikhar Dhawan was sidelined due to injury but hasn't been able to impress with either bat or ball. Sehwag, while speaking to cricket news website Cricbuzz, not only criticised Curran but questioned his place in the side as well. Also Read: VIDEO | Phil Salt's full-stretch dive wins thriller for KKR against RCB by one run "If I was in the PBKS dugout, I would not even pick him in my team, neither as a batting all-rounder nor as a bowling all-rounder. I wouldn't pick him", Sehwag said. "A player is not of any use, if he can bowl a bit and bat a bit. You either bat properly and win us the match, or you bowl and win us the game. This bits and pieces part I don't understand," he added. As for the match, PBKS could manage only 142 runs in exact 20 overs with Curran scoring only 19-ball 20 as an opener. GT had a bit of a scare during the chase as they lost four wickets for less than 100 in 14.4 overs. Rahul Tewatia then scored unbeaten 18-ball 36 to take his side home in 19.1 overs. Curran the bowler was decent during his spell, taking 1/18 in two overs. With the loss, PBKS' chances to make it to the playoffs took a severe hit as they have now lost six of their last eight games including last four at home in Mullanpur, Mohali. GT, on the other hand, are now in the mid-table logjam with four losses and four wins in eight games.

IPL 2024: 'Not of any use...,' Former PBKS opener lashes out on skipper Sam Curran

Match 37 of the IPL 2024 edition saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) host Gujarat Titans (GT) at the&nbsp;Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Sunday evening (April 21). Defending 143, Punjab put up a good fight but eventually lost by three wickets&nbsp;in the final over&nbsp;to remain in the ninth spot. Shubman Gill-led GT, meanwhile, climbed up the ladder to occupy the sixth spot with eight points. During the game, there were a lot of twists and turns as the momentum kept shifting from one side to the other before Gujarat emerged on top.

During GT's run-chase, Gill was going to be the most-prized scalp for Sam Curran-led Punjab. The right-hander got a start and was looking set to take his side home. However, Liam Livingstone removed Gill for 35 (29) and was on cloud nine. Here is the video of Gill's dismissal which led to an aggressive celebration from the Englishman.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-reece-topley-shares-his-take-on-virat-kohlis-controversial-dismissal-during-kkr-vs-rcb-clash-713782">IPL 2024: Reece Topley shares his take on Virat Kohli's controversial dismissal during KKR vs RCB clash</a>

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Captain departs &amp; Punjab Kings have their second🙌 
 
Liam Livingstone gets the set Shubman Gill for 35(29) at the halfway point! 
 
Watch the match LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JioCinema?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JioCinema</a> 💻📱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PBKSvGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PBKSvGT</a> <a href="https://t.co/OebAjeTRZP">pic.twitter.com/OebAjeTRZP</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1782089398923694588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Livingstone, who was introduced into the attack after the powerplays, did a fine job with the ball. He ended his full quota of overs with 4-0-19-2, also getting rid of dangerman David Miller. However, Rahul Tewatia's 18-ball 36* took Gujarat past the finish line on the first ball of the final over. From Punjab, Harshal Patel, who ended with 3-0-15-3, kept chipping in with wickets at regular intervals in the end overs. However, it wasn't enough to ensure a win for Punjab.

Earlier, Punjab only managed 142 -- with Sai Kishore chipping in with 4 for 33 -- thanks to Prabhsimran Singh's 35 and Harpreet Brar's 29. With this, Punjab have now lost six games out of eight matches played and are in the ninth spot in the points table. They will next face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Friday evening (April 26).

Match 37 of the IPL 2024 edition saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) host Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Sunday evening (April 21).

Match 37 of the IPL 2024 edition saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) host Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Sunday evening (April 21). Defending 143, Punjab put up a good fight but eventually lost by three wickets in the final over to remain in the ninth spot. Shubman Gill-led GT, meanwhile, climbed up the ladder to occupy the sixth spot with eight points. During the game, there were a lot of twists and turns as the momentum kept shifting from one side to the other before Gujarat emerged on top. During GT's run-chase, Gill was going to be the most-prized scalp for Sam Curran-led Punjab. The right-hander got a start and was looking set to take his side home. However, Liam Livingstone removed Gill for 35 (29) and was on cloud nine. Here is the video of Gill's dismissal which led to an aggressive celebration from the Englishman. Also read: IPL 2024: Reece Topley shares his take on Virat Kohli's controversial dismissal during KKR vs RCB clash Captain departs & Punjab Kings have their second🙌 Liam Livingstone gets the set Shubman Gill for 35(29) at the halfway point! Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvGT pic.twitter.com/OebAjeTRZP — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2024 × Livingstone, who was introduced into the attack after the powerplays, did a fine job with the ball. He ended his full quota of overs with 4-0-19-2, also getting rid of dangerman David Miller. However, Rahul Tewatia's 18-ball 36* took Gujarat past the finish line on the first ball of the final over. From Punjab, Harshal Patel, who ended with 3-0-15-3, kept chipping in with wickets at regular intervals in the end overs. However, it wasn't enough to ensure a win for Punjab. Earlier, Punjab only managed 142 -- with Sai Kishore chipping in with 4 for 33 -- thanks to Prabhsimran Singh's 35 and Harpreet Brar's 29. With this, Punjab have now lost six games out of eight matches played and are in the ninth spot in the points table. They will next face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Friday evening (April 26).

IPL 2024: Liam Livingstone goes BERSERK after dismissing Shubman Gill in PBKS vs GT tie - Watch

Match 33 of the IPL 2024 edition will see Punjab Kings (PBKS) host the Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) at the&nbsp;Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Thursday evening (April 18). While Punjab is coming into this game on the back of a close loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home, the same is the case for MI who lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday (April 14).

Both the teams have had an unimpressive run so far. Both are strong on paper but have not delivered in every department. While Mumbai openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have delivered so far, the rest of the batters need to stand tall whereas in the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah surely needs more support from the other end. For Punjab, Kagiso Rabada is starting to look good whereas they have a smart all-rounder in Sam Curran, who is likely to lead once again in the absence of regular captain Shikhar Dhawan, but their top-order woes need to end soon.&nbsp;

So far, Punjab's batting has been held by their lower-order batters such as Shashank Singh and&nbsp;Ashutosh Sharma at the backend. The likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma have to do the bulk of scoring else Punjab's inconsistency will cost them another playoff berth.&nbsp;

Both sides are placed in the bottom half, with Punjab at seventh followed by Mumbai, hence, they need to revive their campaign soon.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/gt-vs-dc-kevin-pietersen-backs-rishabh-pant-to-be-ready-for-t20-world-cup-by-end-of-ipl-2024-712454">GT vs DC: Kevin Pietersen backs Rishabh Pant to be 'ready for T20 World Cup' by end of IPL 2024</a>

Match preview and result prediction:&nbsp;Dew has not been a huge factor at this venue, where run-scoring hasn't been very easy but anything over, or near, 170 is being made at regular intervals. Expect a good contest as Mumbai and Punjab have a good rivalry, with the former leading the other 16-15 in terms of the&nbsp;head-to-head battle with pacers having a say in the game. Captains will fancy chasing even with no significant effect of dew yet.&nbsp;

Mumbai's experienced squad is likely to test an inconsistent Punjab. Thus, MI can fancy a win in Mullanpur on Thursday evening.

Match 33 of the IPL 2024 edition will see Punjab Kings (PBKS) host the Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Thursday evening (April 18).

Match 33 of the IPL 2024 edition will see Punjab Kings (PBKS) host the Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Thursday evening (April 18). While Punjab is coming into this game on the back of a close loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home, the same is the case for MI who lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday (April 14). Both the teams have had an unimpressive run so far. Both are strong on paper but have not delivered in every department. While Mumbai openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have delivered so far, the rest of the batters need to stand tall whereas in the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah surely needs more support from the other end. For Punjab, Kagiso Rabada is starting to look good whereas they have a smart all-rounder in Sam Curran, who is likely to lead once again in the absence of regular captain Shikhar Dhawan, but their top-order woes need to end soon. So far, Punjab's batting has been held by their lower-order batters such as Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma at the backend. The likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma have to do the bulk of scoring else Punjab's inconsistency will cost them another playoff berth. Both sides are placed in the bottom half, with Punjab at seventh followed by Mumbai, hence, they need to revive their campaign soon. Also read: GT vs DC: Kevin Pietersen backs Rishabh Pant to be 'ready for T20 World Cup' by end of IPL 2024 Match preview and result prediction: Dew has not been a huge factor at this venue, where run-scoring hasn't been very easy but anything over, or near, 170 is being made at regular intervals. Expect a good contest as Mumbai and Punjab have a good rivalry, with the former leading the other 16-15 in terms of the head-to-head battle with pacers having a say in the game. Captains will fancy chasing even with no significant effect of dew yet. Mumbai's experienced squad is likely to test an inconsistent Punjab. Thus, MI can fancy a win in Mullanpur on Thursday evening.

IPL 2024, Match 33: Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians – Match preview and result prediction

Rajasthan Royals skipper and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson effected a MS Dhoni-esque run-out in the match against Punjab Kings during the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday (April 13). Samson collected a throw from mid-wicket area at a distance from the stumps but managed to throw the ball just in time to dislodge the bails and find the batter short.

The run-out happened in the 18th over of Punjab's batting when Ashutosh Sharma guided a ball from Yuzvendra Chahal deep into the field. The batters, Liam Livingstone and Sharma, completed the first run comfortably but Livingstone turned back for the second run. He reach down the pitch a few steps before returning back.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-blow-for-pbks-as-skipper-shikhar-dhawan-out-for-seven-ten-days-with-injury-confirms-coach-bangar-711034">IPL 2024: Blow for PBKS as skipper Shikhar Dhawan out for 'seven-ten days' with injury, confirms coach Bangar</a>

By the time Livingstone turned back, Tanush Kotian had picked up the ball and fired a throw towards the striker-end. Samson, who collected the ball a few inches away from stumps, threw it on the stumps and Livingstone was found short upon review. Have a look at the video below:

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Sanju Samson (c) (wk) 🤯🔥<a href="https://t.co/Stoubf9gL4">pic.twitter.com/Stoubf9gL4</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1779177997712417180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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As for the match, PBKS eventually lost the thriller, second on the trot, as RR managed to chase the 148-run target with three wickets and one ball left. Punjab bowlers did well to make a match out of nothing but Rajasthan's West Indian duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell kept their cool to take Royals home.

Hetmyer scored unbeaten 27 off 10 balls while Powell scored 11 off 5 including two fours in the penultimate over as Rajasthan shook off their only loss of the season, which came in the last match against Gujarat Titans.

Earlier, Punjab kept losing wickets at regular interval with only Jitesh Sharma (29), Livingstone (21) and Sharma (31 off 16) being able to cross the 20-run mark. All five Rajasthan bowlers managed to take wickets as PBKS posted a below-par 147/8 in 20 overs.

This was Punjab's fourth loss in five matches as they currently sit at eighth place in the 10-team points table while Royals enjoy the top spot with five wins in six games.

Rajasthan Royals skipper and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson effected a MS Dhoni-esque run-out in the match against Punjab Kings during the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday (April 13).

Rajasthan Royals skipper and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson effected a MS Dhoni-esque run-out in the match against Punjab Kings during the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday (April 13). Samson collected a throw from mid-wicket area at a distance from the stumps but managed to throw the ball just in time to dislodge the bails and find the batter short. The run-out happened in the 18th over of Punjab's batting when Ashutosh Sharma guided a ball from Yuzvendra Chahal deep into the field. The batters, Liam Livingstone and Sharma, completed the first run comfortably but Livingstone turned back for the second run. He reach down the pitch a few steps before returning back. Also Read: IPL 2024: Blow for PBKS as skipper Shikhar Dhawan out for 'seven-ten days' with injury, confirms coach Bangar By the time Livingstone turned back, Tanush Kotian had picked up the ball and fired a throw towards the striker-end. Samson, who collected the ball a few inches away from stumps, threw it on the stumps and Livingstone was found short upon review. Have a look at the video below: Sanju Samson (c) (wk) 🤯🔥pic.twitter.com/Stoubf9gL4 — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 13, 2024 × As for the match, PBKS eventually lost the thriller, second on the trot, as RR managed to chase the 148-run target with three wickets and one ball left. Punjab bowlers did well to make a match out of nothing but Rajasthan's West Indian duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell kept their cool to take Royals home. Hetmyer scored unbeaten 27 off 10 balls while Powell scored 11 off 5 including two fours in the penultimate over as Rajasthan shook off their only loss of the season, which came in the last match against Gujarat Titans. Earlier, Punjab kept losing wickets at regular interval with only Jitesh Sharma (29), Livingstone (21) and Sharma (31 off 16) being able to cross the 20-run mark. All five Rajasthan bowlers managed to take wickets as PBKS posted a below-par 147/8 in 20 overs. This was Punjab's fourth loss in five matches as they currently sit at eighth place in the 10-team points table while Royals enjoy the top spot with five wins in six games.

IPL 2024: WATCH | RR's Sanju Samson does MS Dhoni-esque run-out vs Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Sanjay Bangar has confirmed that skipper Shikhar Dhawan is out for at least seven-ten days. Sam Curran was the stand-in captain in place of Dhawan during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals on April 13. Dhawan's injury is a setback to PBKS who are already struggling with four losses in six games.

"He's having a shoulder injury, so he is likely to be out for at least a couple of days, I would say," Bangar said after the loss against RR on Saturday.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/nepal-batter-dipendra-singh-airee-hits-six-sixes-in-an-over-becomes-third-player-to-achieve-feat-in-t20is-710917">Nepal batter Dipendra Singh Airee hits six sixes in an over; becomes third player to achieve feat in T20Is</a>

"Having an experienced opener, somebody like Shikhar, who has experience of playing on such wickets, becomes extremely crucial [for the team]. We have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment. At the moment, it seems that he could be out of action for at least seven-ten days," added the head coach.

Bangar also clarified that wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, who shot to prominence last season with his batting, wasn't the designated vice-captain and it was always going to be Curran who'd lead the side.

"It wasn't the case that Jitesh was the stand-in captain. We were very clear in our mind that if at all there had to be an opening, Sam Curran will be taking over and do the job as the captain," said Bangar.

As for the match, PBKS lost another thriller, second on the trot, as RR eventually chased the 148-run target with three wickets and one ball left. Punjab bowlers did well to make a match out of nothing but Rajasthan's West Indian duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell kept their cool to take Royals home.

Hetmyer scored unbeaten 27 off 10 balls while Powell scored 11 off 5 including two fours in the penultimate over as Rajasthan shook off their only loss of the season, which came in the last match against Gujarat Titans.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Sanjay Bangar has confirmed that skipper Shikhar Dhawan is out for at least seven-ten days. Sam Curran was the stand-in captain in place of Dhawan during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals on April 13.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Sanjay Bangar has confirmed that skipper Shikhar Dhawan is out for at least seven-ten days. Sam Curran was the stand-in captain in place of Dhawan during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals on April 13. Dhawan's injury is a setback to PBKS who are already struggling with four losses in six games. "He's having a shoulder injury, so he is likely to be out for at least a couple of days, I would say," Bangar said after the loss against RR on Saturday. Also Read: Nepal batter Dipendra Singh Airee hits six sixes in an over; becomes third player to achieve feat in T20Is "Having an experienced opener, somebody like Shikhar, who has experience of playing on such wickets, becomes extremely crucial [for the team]. We have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment. At the moment, it seems that he could be out of action for at least seven-ten days," added the head coach. Bangar also clarified that wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, who shot to prominence last season with his batting, wasn't the designated vice-captain and it was always going to be Curran who'd lead the side. "It wasn't the case that Jitesh was the stand-in captain. We were very clear in our mind that if at all there had to be an opening, Sam Curran will be taking over and do the job as the captain," said Bangar. As for the match, PBKS lost another thriller, second on the trot, as RR eventually chased the 148-run target with three wickets and one ball left. Punjab bowlers did well to make a match out of nothing but Rajasthan's West Indian duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell kept their cool to take Royals home. Hetmyer scored unbeaten 27 off 10 balls while Powell scored 11 off 5 including two fours in the penultimate over as Rajasthan shook off their only loss of the season, which came in the last match against Gujarat Titans.

IPL 2024: Blow for PBKS as skipper Shikhar Dhawan out for 'seven-ten days' with injury, confirms coach Bangar

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Rovman Powell had a cheeky response for the broadcaster after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) match for his team against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 13. Powell and Shimron Hetmyer added 21 runs in just seven balls to take their team home in a tense chase. Powell scored 11 off just 5 including two boundaries in the penultimate over as RR chased down the 148-run target with one ball and three wickets left.

Speaking after the match on his partnership with Hetmyer, who scored unbeaten 27 off 10 balls, Powell said: "The good thing is we know each other, we are calm. All we needed to do was hit proper cricketing shots, and play along the ground. We are West Indians, we hit boundaries. In the previous games, the lower and middle order have not batted a lot of balls, and I told Hettie that there might be a day soon when they will have that opportunity. When I went out to bat, he just reminded me of that."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-blow-for-pbks-as-skipper-shikhar-dhawan-out-for-seven-ten-days-with-injury-confirms-coach-bangar-711034">Blow for PBKS as skipper Shikhar Dhawan out for 'seven-ten days' with injury, confirms coach Bangar</a>

Powell also offered an updated about when RR opener Jos Buttler is going to be back and said: "I think he is maybe out for a day or two. I think he will be back, the medical team is doing a fantastic job."

As for the game, Punjab bowlers did well to make a match out of nothing but eventually lost the second consecutive thriller on the trot. They kept losing wickets at regular interval with only Jitesh Sharma (29), Livingstone (21) and Sharma (31 off 16) being able to cross the 20-run mark. All five Rajasthan bowlers managed to take wickets as PBKS posted a below-par 147/8 in 20 overs.

This was Punjab's fourth loss in five matches as they currently sit at eighth place in the 10-team points table while Royals enjoy the top spot with five wins in six games.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Rovman Powell had a cheeky response for the broadcaster after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) match for his team against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 13.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Rovman Powell had a cheeky response for the broadcaster after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) match for his team against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 13. Powell and Shimron Hetmyer added 21 runs in just seven balls to take their team home in a tense chase. Powell scored 11 off just 5 including two boundaries in the penultimate over as RR chased down the 148-run target with one ball and three wickets left. Speaking after the match on his partnership with Hetmyer, who scored unbeaten 27 off 10 balls, Powell said: "The good thing is we know each other, we are calm. All we needed to do was hit proper cricketing shots, and play along the ground. We are West Indians, we hit boundaries. In the previous games, the lower and middle order have not batted a lot of balls, and I told Hettie that there might be a day soon when they will have that opportunity. When I went out to bat, he just reminded me of that." Also Read: Blow for PBKS as skipper Shikhar Dhawan out for 'seven-ten days' with injury, confirms coach Bangar Powell also offered an updated about when RR opener Jos Buttler is going to be back and said: "I think he is maybe out for a day or two. I think he will be back, the medical team is doing a fantastic job." As for the game, Punjab bowlers did well to make a match out of nothing but eventually lost the second consecutive thriller on the trot. They kept losing wickets at regular interval with only Jitesh Sharma (29), Livingstone (21) and Sharma (31 off 16) being able to cross the 20-run mark. All five Rajasthan bowlers managed to take wickets as PBKS posted a below-par 147/8 in 20 overs. This was Punjab's fourth loss in five matches as they currently sit at eighth place in the 10-team points table while Royals enjoy the top spot with five wins in six games.

IPL 2024: RR batter Rovman Powell's CHEEKY response after winning match vs Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings (PBKS) batters Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma almost pulled another remarkable win for their team against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 9. Needing 183 to win, the duo added 66 runs in the 27 balls including three huge sixes in the last over. PBKS, however, lost the game by two runs in the end.

Needing 29 runs in the last over, Sharma hit first ball by Jaydev Unadkat towards deep midwicket which burst through the hands of Nitish Reddy for a six. The bowler, under pressure, bowled two wides before being hit for another six.&nbsp;

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-virat-kohli-wins-hearts-asks-security-to-be-lenient-with-pitch-invader-during-rr-vs-rcb-tie-watch-709777">Virat Kohli wins hearts, asks security to be lenient with pitch invader during RR vs RCB tie&nbsp;</a>

With 14 runs off the target from the first two balls, Unadkat gave away just just six runs in the next three balls and effectively won the game for SRH. Shashank, nonetheless, hit the last ball for a six to help PBKS in net run rate. Have a look at the last over below:

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A Fantastic Finish 🔥 
 
Plenty happened in this nail-biter of a finish where the two teams battled till the end🤜🤛 
 
Relive 📽️ some of the drama from the final over ft. Jaydev Unadkat, Ashutosh Sharma &amp; Shashank Singh 👌 
 
Watch the match LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@starsportsindia</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JioCinema?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JioCinema</a>… <a href="https://t.co/NohAD2fdnI">pic.twitter.com/NohAD2fdnI</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1777760565508923772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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This is not the first time Shashank and Sharma's cameo turned the tables for PBKS. In Punjab's previous match against Gujarat Titans, Sharma and Shashank had helped the team get over the line a chase of 200. The duo had added 43 runs in just 22 balls to get Punjab from 150/6 in 15.3 overs to 193/7 in 19.1 overs. PBKS had won the game by three wickets with one ball left in a stunning chase.

Currently, Punjab are sixth on the 10-team points table with two wins and three losses in five games. They had started the campaign well with a win over Delhi Capitals by four wickets. They lost their next two games, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), respectively.

In the next two games, they have one loss and one win with Shashank and Sharma being the heroes of both matches.&nbsp;

Punjab Kings (PBKS) batters Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma almost pulled another remarkable win for their team against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 9.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) batters Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma almost pulled another remarkable win for their team against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 9. Needing 183 to win, the duo added 66 runs in the 27 balls including three huge sixes in the last over. PBKS, however, lost the game by two runs in the end. Needing 29 runs in the last over, Sharma hit first ball by Jaydev Unadkat towards deep midwicket which burst through the hands of Nitish Reddy for a six. The bowler, under pressure, bowled two wides before being hit for another six. Also Watch: Virat Kohli wins hearts, asks security to be lenient with pitch invader during RR vs RCB tie With 14 runs off the target from the first two balls, Unadkat gave away just just six runs in the next three balls and effectively won the game for SRH. Shashank, nonetheless, hit the last ball for a six to help PBKS in net run rate. Have a look at the last over below: A Fantastic Finish 🔥 Plenty happened in this nail-biter of a finish where the two teams battled till the end🤜🤛 Relive 📽️ some of the drama from the final over ft. Jaydev Unadkat, Ashutosh Sharma & Shashank Singh 👌 Watch the match LIVE on @starsportsindia and @JioCinema… pic.twitter.com/NohAD2fdnI — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 9, 2024 × This is not the first time Shashank and Sharma's cameo turned the tables for PBKS. In Punjab's previous match against Gujarat Titans, Sharma and Shashank had helped the team get over the line a chase of 200. The duo had added 43 runs in just 22 balls to get Punjab from 150/6 in 15.3 overs to 193/7 in 19.1 overs. PBKS had won the game by three wickets with one ball left in a stunning chase. Currently, Punjab are sixth on the 10-team points table with two wins and three losses in five games. They had started the campaign well with a win over Delhi Capitals by four wickets. They lost their next two games, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), respectively. In the next two games, they have one loss and one win with Shashank and Sharma being the heroes of both matches.

IPL 2024: WATCH | 14 runs off two balls, Shashank & Ashutosh almost take PBKS home in tense chase

Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered an agonising two-run defeat at home against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) after surrendering the initial advantage where they had the opposition batters on the rope. Set a challenging target of 183, PBKS could not conjure up enough partnerships to finish the chase, despite the late heroics of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma.&nbsp;

The duo did threaten to pull off a similar heist, as they did against Gujarat Titans in the previous match by scoring 26 runs off the last over but could not get over the line. Singh once again showed that PBKS invested in the right entity with his superlative power-hitting.&nbsp;

"I feel that Shashank and Ashutosh played a great knock, we restricted them to a good total, but we couldn't cash in on the first 6 overs, lost 3 wickets and that's where we fell behind and it cost us in the end," said losing captain Shikhar Dhawan in the post-match conference.&nbsp;

The tone for the defence was set by Bhuvneshwar Kumar who started with a maiden over against Dhawan. The pressure of six dot balls was transferred to Jonny Bairstow who attempted to&nbsp;slog across the line and had his offstump flattened by SRH captain Pat Cummins.

Coming into bat at no. 3, Prabhsimran Singh had another disappointing outing and got out trying to manufacture something out of the ordinary. However, the moment of the match came when Heinrich Klaasen came up to the stumps with Bhuvneshwar bowling and stumped Dhawan who charged down the track, in what was a completely suicidal move.

With three wickets down in the powerplay, PBKS never looked like recovering as SRH bowlers kept coming at them relentlessly.&nbsp;Cummins&nbsp;and T Natarajan chipped in with a couple of wickets and kept a lid on the scoring rate up until that final burst from the PBKS duo.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/highest-individual-score-in-ipl-2024-latest-updated-list-today-709410">Also read |&nbsp;IPL 2024: Virat Kohli's 113 not out highest individual score in tournament. Check full list inside</a>

<h2>PBKS surrender advantage</h2>

Bowling first, PBKS were all over SRH, courtesy of Arshdeep Singh who picked up four wickets and was pivotal in stopping the likes of Travis Head and Aiden Markram from going big. Head could not do much damage despite having a reprieve when Kings did not take a review after he had edged the ball to the keeper.&nbsp;

Sam Curran sent Abhishek Sharma to the hut and up until the 15th over, it looked certain that PBKS would restrict SRH to anything below 160. However, Harpreet Brar and Harshal Patel were taken to the cleaners in successive overs and the momentum shifted from there.&nbsp;

SRH batters shifted the throttle and went slam bang in the final five which helped them put up the challenging total that proved just about enough in the end. The win meant that SRH and PBKS maintained their fifth and sixth spot respectively on the points table.&nbsp;

Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered an agonising two-run defeat at home against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) after surrendering the initial advantage where they had the opposition batters on the rope.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered an agonising two-run defeat at home against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) after surrendering the initial advantage where they had the opposition batters on the rope. Set a challenging target of 183, PBKS could not conjure up enough partnerships to finish the chase, despite the late heroics of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. The duo did threaten to pull off a similar heist, as they did against Gujarat Titans in the previous match by scoring 26 runs off the last over but could not get over the line. Singh once again showed that PBKS invested in the right entity with his superlative power-hitting. "I feel that Shashank and Ashutosh played a great knock, we restricted them to a good total, but we couldn't cash in on the first 6 overs, lost 3 wickets and that's where we fell behind and it cost us in the end," said losing captain Shikhar Dhawan in the post-match conference. The tone for the defence was set by Bhuvneshwar Kumar who started with a maiden over against Dhawan. The pressure of six dot balls was transferred to Jonny Bairstow who attempted to slog across the line and had his offstump flattened by SRH captain Pat Cummins. Coming into bat at no. 3, Prabhsimran Singh had another disappointing outing and got out trying to manufacture something out of the ordinary. However, the moment of the match came when Heinrich Klaasen came up to the stumps with Bhuvneshwar bowling and stumped Dhawan who charged down the track, in what was a completely suicidal move. With three wickets down in the powerplay, PBKS never looked like recovering as SRH bowlers kept coming at them relentlessly. Cummins and T Natarajan chipped in with a couple of wickets and kept a lid on the scoring rate up until that final burst from the PBKS duo. Also read | IPL 2024: Virat Kohli's 113 not out highest individual score in tournament. Check full list inside PBKS surrender advantage Bowling first, PBKS were all over SRH, courtesy of Arshdeep Singh who picked up four wickets and was pivotal in stopping the likes of Travis Head and Aiden Markram from going big. Head could not do much damage despite having a reprieve when Kings did not take a review after he had edged the ball to the keeper. Sam Curran sent Abhishek Sharma to the hut and up until the 15th over, it looked certain that PBKS would restrict SRH to anything below 160. However, Harpreet Brar and Harshal Patel were taken to the cleaners in successive overs and the momentum shifted from there. SRH batters shifted the throttle and went slam bang in the final five which helped them put up the challenging total that proved just about enough in the end. The win meant that SRH and PBKS maintained their fifth and sixth spot respectively on the points table.

IPL 2024: PBKS go down swinging, lose by two runs at home to SRH

IPL 2024: Top players to represent both Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings - In Pics

Punjab Kings Head Coach Trevor Bayliss believes that International Cricket is still the pinnacle of the sport. The 2019 ODI World Cup-winning coach says that the ICC has to find a way to balance International Cricket and franchise leagues.

Punjab Kings head coach Trevor Bayliss speaks on the future of the game

Shashank Singh (61 not out) proved to be the hero for Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) as they romped past Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets in the chase of 200 in match 17&nbsp;of IPL 2024, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday (April 4). Chasing 200, Punjab were 70 for 4 and further reduced to 111 for 5 before Shashank, an uncapped Indian player, turned it around by taking on every bowler and was also assisted by Ashutosh Sharma (17-ball 31*)&nbsp;in a thrilling run-chase.

Shashank, who was bought by mistake by the Punjab outfit in the IPL 2024 mini-auction, showed great temperament to hang in there and find the boundaries at regular intervals. He hit 6 fours and 4 sixes&nbsp;at a strike rate of 210.34. His 29-ball 61* stunned Gill &amp; Co. who were in charge of the 200-run defence before being blown away by the right-hander.

At the post-match presentation, Shashank said, "Still trying to sink in, I vision these things but turning it into reality feels great. I play cricketing shots, I bat at No. 7 but today I batted at No. 5. The bounce was very good, 200 scored by both teams so the wicket was fantastic."

He added, "I don't see the names, I react to the bowler and play my shots accordingly. Couldn't get much matches before, last to last year for SRH but the management, the coaching staff has really backed me and I was very confident."

Notably, Shashank&nbsp;created a lot of&nbsp;buzz during last year's mini-auction in December in Dubai. Punjab&nbsp;denied buying the player despite the hammer going down, however, later it was clarified that there was some confusion due to two players having the same name. They confirmed that&nbsp;they got the right player eventually.

Later, PBKS wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him onboard and see him contribute to our success."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-match-17-sunrisers-hyderabad-vs-chennai-super-kings-match-preview-and-result-prediction-707899">IPL 2024, Match 17: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings – Match preview and result prediction</a>

With Shashank making a mark in the IPL, Robin Uthappa revealed that the 32-year-old was his teammate at the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI).

Speaking on Jio Cinema, Uthappa said, "Shashank Singh was with me in Pune Warriors India in 2011 and then kind of quietly did his time in the IPL. He was in a lot of franchises and never got the opportunity. He is a very quiet kid, someone, who quietly works in the background, soft-spoken an absolute gentleman. Tried to apply his trade in Mumbai, but didn't make it there. or didn't get much of an opportunity because it's not a boisterous kind of out-there kind of youngster, um, but always had the talent going to Pondicherry. It didn't work out there. So it's kind of been around the block and he's kind of bided his time and got his due."

Dhawan-led Punjab are now at the fifth spot, one above GT, and will now host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home, at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Tuesday (April 9).

Shashank Singh (61 not out) proved to be the hero for Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) as they romped past Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets in the chase of 200 in match 17 of IPL 2024, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday (April 4).

Shashank Singh (61 not out) proved to be the hero for Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) as they romped past Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets in the chase of 200 in match 17 of IPL 2024, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday (April 4). Chasing 200, Punjab were 70 for 4 and further reduced to 111 for 5 before Shashank, an uncapped Indian player, turned it around by taking on every bowler and was also assisted by Ashutosh Sharma (17-ball 31*) in a thrilling run-chase. Shashank, who was bought by mistake by the Punjab outfit in the IPL 2024 mini-auction, showed great temperament to hang in there and find the boundaries at regular intervals. He hit 6 fours and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 210.34. His 29-ball 61* stunned Gill & Co. who were in charge of the 200-run defence before being blown away by the right-hander. At the post-match presentation, Shashank said, "Still trying to sink in, I vision these things but turning it into reality feels great. I play cricketing shots, I bat at No. 7 but today I batted at No. 5. The bounce was very good, 200 scored by both teams so the wicket was fantastic." He added, "I don't see the names, I react to the bowler and play my shots accordingly. Couldn't get much matches before, last to last year for SRH but the management, the coaching staff has really backed me and I was very confident." Notably, Shashank created a lot of buzz during last year's mini-auction in December in Dubai. Punjab denied buying the player despite the hammer going down, however, later it was clarified that there was some confusion due to two players having the same name. They confirmed that they got the right player eventually. Later, PBKS wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him onboard and see him contribute to our success." Also read: IPL 2024, Match 17: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings – Match preview and result prediction With Shashank making a mark in the IPL, Robin Uthappa revealed that the 32-year-old was his teammate at the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI). Speaking on Jio Cinema, Uthappa said, "Shashank Singh was with me in Pune Warriors India in 2011 and then kind of quietly did his time in the IPL. He was in a lot of franchises and never got the opportunity. He is a very quiet kid, someone, who quietly works in the background, soft-spoken an absolute gentleman. Tried to apply his trade in Mumbai, but didn't make it there. or didn't get much of an opportunity because it's not a boisterous kind of out-there kind of youngster, um, but always had the talent going to Pondicherry. It didn't work out there. So it's kind of been around the block and he's kind of bided his time and got his due." Dhawan-led Punjab are now at the fifth spot, one above GT, and will now host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home, at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Tuesday (April 9).

IPL 2024: 'Still trying to sink in' - Shashank Singh, PBKS' accidental buy, on his heroics vs GT

Match 17 of the IPL 2024 edition will see the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans (GT) host the Shikhar Dhawan-starrer Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the&nbsp;Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday (April 4). While the Gujarat franchise is coming into this game on the back of a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Punjab have been struggling and have suffered two successive defeats since earning a&nbsp;win in their season-opener.

All eyes will be on Gill's form in the clash versus Punjab. So far, the right-hander has managed scores of 31, 8&nbsp;and 36 and while he has looked good, he hasn't converted his starts as his average is a mere 25; very low as per his standards. Thus, Gill's return to form will be a huge tick for the home side, who are at the fifth spot with two wins and a loss. They have started off positively and do not have a lot of concerns. Sai Sudarshan and David Miller are in good form and they have depth in their batting lineup. On the other hand, their bowling has always been their strength with Mohit Sharma being in top form. Rashid Khan,&nbsp;Azmatullah Omarzai and Umesh Yadav make a formidable bowling unit for them.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dc-vs-kkr-eoin-morgan-lauds-rishabh-pants-recovery-after-dc-captain-hits-second-successive-fifty-of-ipl-2024-707478">DC vs KKR: Eoin Morgan lauds Rishabh Pant's recovery after DC captain hits second successive fifty of IPL 2024</a>

Meanwhile, Punjab have lots to ponder upon. They have once again made a poor start to a new season. Having won their season-opener versus Delhi Capitals (DC) at their new home base in Mullanpur, Punjab have lost two games on the trot while on the road. They will hope to revive their fortunes but Dhawan &amp; Co. have plenty of concerns.

Dhawan is striking at&nbsp;133.01 and, hence, is expected to come hard at the bowlers. The likes of Jonny Bairstow, Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh need to do a lot more in their primary roles for Punjab to bounce back. They need to sort out their bowling strategy at the earliest and it will be interesting to see how they respond versus Gujarat, on a good batting track in Ahmedabad.

Match preview and result prediction: Expect a lot of runs but toss will be crucial with dew being a big factor. It will be a high-scoring affair with the chasing side to emerge on top. Gujarat should add another win to their kitty. A win for Punjab looks unlikely at the moment and could be termed an upset if they stun Gill &amp; Co.

Match 17 of the IPL 2024 edition will see the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans (GT) host the Shikhar Dhawan-starrer Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday (April 4).

Match 17 of the IPL 2024 edition will see the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans (GT) host the Shikhar Dhawan-starrer Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday (April 4). While the Gujarat franchise is coming into this game on the back of a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Punjab have been struggling and have suffered two successive defeats since earning a win in their season-opener. All eyes will be on Gill's form in the clash versus Punjab. So far, the right-hander has managed scores of 31, 8 and 36 and while he has looked good, he hasn't converted his starts as his average is a mere 25; very low as per his standards. Thus, Gill's return to form will be a huge tick for the home side, who are at the fifth spot with two wins and a loss. They have started off positively and do not have a lot of concerns. Sai Sudarshan and David Miller are in good form and they have depth in their batting lineup. On the other hand, their bowling has always been their strength with Mohit Sharma being in top form. Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai and Umesh Yadav make a formidable bowling unit for them. Also read: DC vs KKR: Eoin Morgan lauds Rishabh Pant's recovery after DC captain hits second successive fifty of IPL 2024 Meanwhile, Punjab have lots to ponder upon. They have once again made a poor start to a new season. Having won their season-opener versus Delhi Capitals (DC) at their new home base in Mullanpur, Punjab have lost two games on the trot while on the road. They will hope to revive their fortunes but Dhawan & Co. have plenty of concerns. Dhawan is striking at 133.01 and, hence, is expected to come hard at the bowlers. The likes of Jonny Bairstow, Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh need to do a lot more in their primary roles for Punjab to bounce back. They need to sort out their bowling strategy at the earliest and it will be interesting to see how they respond versus Gujarat, on a good batting track in Ahmedabad. Match preview and result prediction: Expect a lot of runs but toss will be crucial with dew being a big factor. It will be a high-scoring affair with the chasing side to emerge on top. Gujarat should add another win to their kitty. A win for Punjab looks unlikely at the moment and could be termed an upset if they stun Gill & Co.

IPL 2024, Match 17: Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings – Match preview and result prediction

Punjab Kinds Head Coach Trevor Bayliss believes Lucknow Super Giants speedster Mayank Yadav has a bright future. Yadav has set the tournament alight with his extraordinary displays but Bayliss told WION Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo that the 21-year-old still has a long way to go.

Bayliss: Mayank Yadav has a bright future

Trevor Bayliss on the future of cricket

Despite a captain's knock from Shikhar Dhawan (70), Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered a 21-run&nbsp;defeat against home side&nbsp;Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium on Saturday (Mar 20) evening. While the win was satisfying, it was the emergence of another young pacer, capable of bowling 150+ thunderbolts&nbsp;that must have delighted the LSG and Indian cricket fans alike.&nbsp;

Mayank Yadav, playing his debut IPL match, bowled the fastest ball of the tournament at 155.8 kmph before sending off Bairstow to the pavilion on the very next delivery. In the process, he broke the 102-run opening stand between the Englishman and Dhawan.&nbsp;

After Bairstow's departure, the PBKS innings never really recovered and Yadav was at the heart of it. His performance rejuvenated the LSG fielders who had been deflated by the pyrotechnics from the opening duo.&nbsp;

The blistering pace of the 21-year-old ensured that other bowlers took inspiration. Mohsin Khan took the big wickets of Dhawan and Sam Curran in consecutive deliveries which completely broke the PBKS spine.&nbsp;

In the end, the challenging target of 200 proved a little beyond the reach of PBKS's lower order. Afghan veteran Naveen-ul-Haq bowled the final few overs and ensured that LSG walked away with a win.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 goes 🔥 
 
𝟭𝟱𝟱.𝟴 𝗸𝗺𝘀/𝗵𝗿 by Mayank Yadav 🥵 
 
Relishing the raw and exciting pace of the debutant who now has 2️⃣ wickets to his name 🫡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PBKS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PBKS</a> require 71 from 36 delivers 
 
Watch the match LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/JioCinema?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JioCinema</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> 💻📱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> |… <a href="https://t.co/rELovBTYMz">pic.twitter.com/rELovBTYMz</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1774122919578223056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>LSG's aggressive batting&nbsp;</h2>

Batting first, LSG could have easily scored anything above 220, if it wasn't for the starts thrown away by the batters. Quinton de Kock led the pack from the start and batted sensibly, reaching his 21st half-century. KL Rahul, who was not in the playing XI and brought in as an impact substitute, owing to the management wanting him to ease slowly following an injury setback, could not get going. He was the first to depart by smashing one straight to Bairstow at backward point.&nbsp;

Devdutt Padikkal's struggles in the middle continued and he fell prey to Sam Curran who was introduced in the final over of the powerplay for his second spell.

Despite the wickets, LSG never took the foot off the pedal. All-rounder Marcus Stoinis came in at No. 4 for a short intent-filled cameo and Pooran was always about keeping the run-rate turbo-charged. The West Indian took calculated risks to ensure the scoreboard was always moving.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-why-nicholas-pooran-is-captaining-lsg-instead-of-kl-rahul-against-pbks-revealed-706022">Also read |&nbsp;IPL 2024: Why Nicholas Pooran is captaining LSG instead of KL Rahul against PBKS - Revealed</a>

Badoni struggled and with Rabada getting Pooran with four odd overs to go,&nbsp;it looked like PBKS could close this out very well but Krunal put on a brilliant display of finishing to give his bowlers a great chance.

Curran used the cutters to great effect. Arshdeep got the key wickets of KL and QdK. Kagiso Rabada and Rahul Chahar also chipped in with a wicket each but they were on the higher end of the economy rate.&nbsp;

Despite a captain's knock from Shikhar Dhawan (70), Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered a 21-run defeat against home side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium on Saturday (Mar 20) evening.

Despite a captain's knock from Shikhar Dhawan (70), Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered a 21-run defeat against home side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium on Saturday (Mar 20) evening. While the win was satisfying, it was the emergence of another young pacer, capable of bowling 150+ thunderbolts that must have delighted the LSG and Indian cricket fans alike. Mayank Yadav, playing his debut IPL match, bowled the fastest ball of the tournament at 155.8 kmph before sending off Bairstow to the pavilion on the very next delivery. In the process, he broke the 102-run opening stand between the Englishman and Dhawan. After Bairstow's departure, the PBKS innings never really recovered and Yadav was at the heart of it. His performance rejuvenated the LSG fielders who had been deflated by the pyrotechnics from the opening duo. The blistering pace of the 21-year-old ensured that other bowlers took inspiration. Mohsin Khan took the big wickets of Dhawan and Sam Curran in consecutive deliveries which completely broke the PBKS spine. In the end, the challenging target of 200 proved a little beyond the reach of PBKS's lower order. Afghan veteran Naveen-ul-Haq bowled the final few overs and ensured that LSG walked away with a win. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 goes 🔥 𝟭𝟱𝟱.𝟴 𝗸𝗺𝘀/𝗵𝗿 by Mayank Yadav 🥵 Relishing the raw and exciting pace of the debutant who now has 2️⃣ wickets to his name 🫡#PBKS require 71 from 36 delivers Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL |… pic.twitter.com/rELovBTYMz — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2024 × LSG's aggressive batting Batting first, LSG could have easily scored anything above 220, if it wasn't for the starts thrown away by the batters. Quinton de Kock led the pack from the start and batted sensibly, reaching his 21st half-century. KL Rahul, who was not in the playing XI and brought in as an impact substitute, owing to the management wanting him to ease slowly following an injury setback, could not get going. He was the first to depart by smashing one straight to Bairstow at backward point. Devdutt Padikkal's struggles in the middle continued and he fell prey to Sam Curran who was introduced in the final over of the powerplay for his second spell. Despite the wickets, LSG never took the foot off the pedal. All-rounder Marcus Stoinis came in at No. 4 for a short intent-filled cameo and Pooran was always about keeping the run-rate turbo-charged. The West Indian took calculated risks to ensure the scoreboard was always moving. Also read | IPL 2024: Why Nicholas Pooran is captaining LSG instead of KL Rahul against PBKS - Revealed Badoni struggled and with Rabada getting Pooran with four odd overs to go, it looked like PBKS could close this out very well but Krunal put on a brilliant display of finishing to give his bowlers a great chance. Curran used the cutters to great effect. Arshdeep got the key wickets of KL and QdK. Kagiso Rabada and Rahul Chahar also chipped in with a wicket each but they were on the higher end of the economy rate.

IPL 2024: Lucknow Super Giants tame Punjab Kings at Ekana, secure first win of the season

Microeconomics has a simple concept of opportunity-cost which applies perfectly to the current state of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 ahead of their Saturday’s encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The concept means the cost of giving up something to get something else. You cannot have all things ‘best’ at once and hence need to decide which one to focus on first.

In IPL, tactics and strategy have become the opportunity cost for LSG and PBKS in their attempt to gather consistent runs from captains KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan.

KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan were among the top-10 highest run-scorers in every IPL season between 2018 and 2023. As the second and fourth-highest run-scorers overall in this period (more than the likes of Virat Kohli), they were your sure-shot candidates for Orange Caps, your run-machines at the top of the order, certain to give starts in every second game.

The first time they both fell off the top 10 was in IPL 2023 - when they were captains of the respective teams at the same time.&nbsp;

For starters, Rahul’s numbers have fallen since he took up captaincy in the IPL in 2020. Till 2019, he had an overall strike rate of 137.79, which, instead of going up in his prime years, has come down to 134.38. In IPL 2018 and 2019, Rahul’s strike rate in powerplay overs was around 141, which plummeted to just over 109 in 2022 and 2023.

He has shown an aversion to shift to the middle-order, which has meant that LSG’s new signing Devdutt Padikkal, who is best suited to opening as well, has to bat at number three.

Moreover, Rahul’s slow strike rate at the top deprives deliveries to the team’s middle-order stars Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis. Even when Rahul stays till late and scores quicker in the middle overs to cover up some ground, as happened against the Rajasthan Royals, it doesn’t leave the finisher with enough deliveries to have an impact.

For Dhawan, the discourse is the opposite. He has gotten better with the bat since taking up the captaincy, despite being on the wrong side of the 30s and out of the national team’s plans.

However, he has faced criticism over his captaincy and strategies. There was some pressure on him in IPL 2023 but he looked much better against Delhi Capitals at home. However, once again, the placements of his deep fielders were questionable against RCB at the Chinnaswamy. His utilisation of a good bowling attack hasn’t sat well with many either.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bundesliga-harry-kane-coman-declared-fit-for-dortmund-clash-but-neuer-misses-out-705808">Bundesliga: Harry Kane, Coman declared fit for Dortmund clash but Neuer misses out</a>

A ground where leg-spinners have managed to find success over the years, he gave Rahul Chahar just one over despite PBKS being desperate for a wicket. Sam Curran, an excellent death-overs operator for grippy tracks — has just bowled four overs so far in two games.

By betting on Rahul and Dhawan’s batting returns, LSG and PBKS have lost good powerplay starts and tactical acumen respectively. Now, it’s on the two opening batters to find some form and repay the trust shown in them, or else the opportunity cost might just be too high for the franchises to let the status quo continue any longer.

Microeconomics has a simple concept of opportunity-cost which applies perfectly to the current state of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 ahead of their Saturday’s encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Microeconomics has a simple concept of opportunity-cost which applies perfectly to the current state of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 ahead of their Saturday’s encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The concept means the cost of giving up something to get something else. You cannot have all things ‘best’ at once and hence need to decide which one to focus on first. In IPL, tactics and strategy have become the opportunity cost for LSG and PBKS in their attempt to gather consistent runs from captains KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan were among the top-10 highest run-scorers in every IPL season between 2018 and 2023. As the second and fourth-highest run-scorers overall in this period (more than the likes of Virat Kohli), they were your sure-shot candidates for Orange Caps, your run-machines at the top of the order, certain to give starts in every second game. The first time they both fell off the top 10 was in IPL 2023 - when they were captains of the respective teams at the same time. For starters, Rahul’s numbers have fallen since he took up captaincy in the IPL in 2020. Till 2019, he had an overall strike rate of 137.79, which, instead of going up in his prime years, has come down to 134.38. In IPL 2018 and 2019, Rahul’s strike rate in powerplay overs was around 141, which plummeted to just over 109 in 2022 and 2023. He has shown an aversion to shift to the middle-order, which has meant that LSG’s new signing Devdutt Padikkal, who is best suited to opening as well, has to bat at number three. Moreover, Rahul’s slow strike rate at the top deprives deliveries to the team’s middle-order stars Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis. Even when Rahul stays till late and scores quicker in the middle overs to cover up some ground, as happened against the Rajasthan Royals, it doesn’t leave the finisher with enough deliveries to have an impact. For Dhawan, the discourse is the opposite. He has gotten better with the bat since taking up the captaincy, despite being on the wrong side of the 30s and out of the national team’s plans. However, he has faced criticism over his captaincy and strategies. There was some pressure on him in IPL 2023 but he looked much better against Delhi Capitals at home. However, once again, the placements of his deep fielders were questionable against RCB at the Chinnaswamy. His utilisation of a good bowling attack hasn’t sat well with many either. ALSO READ | Bundesliga: Harry Kane, Coman declared fit for Dortmund clash but Neuer misses out A ground where leg-spinners have managed to find success over the years, he gave Rahul Chahar just one over despite PBKS being desperate for a wicket. Sam Curran, an excellent death-overs operator for grippy tracks — has just bowled four overs so far in two games. By betting on Rahul and Dhawan’s batting returns, LSG and PBKS have lost good powerplay starts and tactical acumen respectively. Now, it’s on the two opening batters to find some form and repay the trust shown in them, or else the opportunity cost might just be too high for the franchises to let the status quo continue any longer.

IPL 2024: Focus on KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan as LSG vs PBKS takes spotlight in Lucknow

PBKS 2024 Full Updated Squad:&nbsp;Punjab Kings is one of the few franchises yet to put its hand on an IPL trophy. However, with a settled core and some new additions to the squad for IPL 2024, which begins on March 22, PBKS will hope to end their dry run in the tournament and chase the ultimate glory.&nbsp;

Under Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab’s USP will be their dominant batting order, including some hard-hitting English cricketers like Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran. Although all three are unlikely to play all the scheduled games, their presence will boost PBKS’ confidence against top teams.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/srh-updated-squad-ipl-2024-sunrisers-hyderabad-probable-playing-xi-replacement-captain-schedule-702746">SRH Updated Squad: IPL 2024, SunRisers Hyderabad probable playing XI, replacement, captain, schedule</a>

Meanwhile, Punjab’s bowling attack has several match winners listed, like Kagiso Rabada and India’s pair of Arshdeep Singh and recently bought Harshal Patel. Rahul Chahar will be their first-choice spinner in the playing XI.

<h2>PBKS IPL 2024 Details –</h2>

Home Ground -&nbsp;Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Mohali

Best Performance – IPL 2014 Finalist

Captain – Shikhar Dhawan

<h2>PBKS Full Schedule</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals – March 23 – Mohali – 3:30 PM IST</li>
	<li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings – March 25 – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM IST</li>
	<li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings – Lucknow – March 30 – 7:30 PM IST</li>
	<li>Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings – Ahmedabad – April 4 – 7:30 PM IST&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2>PBKS probable playing XI</h2>

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh

<h2>PBKS players bought at IPL 2024 auction&nbsp;</h2>

Harshal Patel (INR 11.75 crore), Chris Woakes (INR 4.20 crore), Ashutosh Sharma (INR 20 lakh), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (INR 20 lakh), Shashank Singh (INR 20 lakh), Tanay Thyagarajann (INR 20 lakh), Prince Choudhary (INR 20 lakh) and Rilee Rossouw (INR 8 crore)

<h2>PBKS Squad for IPL 2024</h2>

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Harpreet Bhatia, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shivam Singh, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Harshal Patel, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Vidhwath Kaverappa and Prince Choudhary

PBKS 2024 Full Updated Squad: Punjab Kings is one of the few franchises yet to put its hand on an IPL trophy. However, with a settled core and some new additions to the squad for IPL 2024, which begins on March 22, PBKS will hope to end their dry run in the tournament and chase the ultimate glory.

PBKS 2024 Full Updated Squad: Punjab Kings is one of the few franchises yet to put its hand on an IPL trophy. However, with a settled core and some new additions to the squad for IPL 2024, which begins on March 22, PBKS will hope to end their dry run in the tournament and chase the ultimate glory. Under Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab’s USP will be their dominant batting order, including some hard-hitting English cricketers like Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran. Although all three are unlikely to play all the scheduled games, their presence will boost PBKS’ confidence against top teams. ALSO READ: SRH Updated Squad: IPL 2024, SunRisers Hyderabad probable playing XI, replacement, captain, schedule Meanwhile, Punjab’s bowling attack has several match winners listed, like Kagiso Rabada and India’s pair of Arshdeep Singh and recently bought Harshal Patel. Rahul Chahar will be their first-choice spinner in the playing XI. PBKS IPL 2024 Details – Home Ground - Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Mohali Best Performance – IPL 2014 Finalist Captain – Shikhar Dhawan PBKS Full Schedule Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals – March 23 – Mohali – 3:30 PM IST Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings – March 25 – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM IST Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings – Lucknow – March 30 – 7:30 PM IST Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings – Ahmedabad – April 4 – 7:30 PM IST PBKS probable playing XI Shikhar Dhawan (c), Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh PBKS players bought at IPL 2024 auction Harshal Patel (INR 11.75 crore), Chris Woakes (INR 4.20 crore), Ashutosh Sharma (INR 20 lakh), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (INR 20 lakh), Shashank Singh (INR 20 lakh), Tanay Thyagarajann (INR 20 lakh), Prince Choudhary (INR 20 lakh) and Rilee Rossouw (INR 8 crore) PBKS Squad for IPL 2024 Shikhar Dhawan (c), Harpreet Bhatia, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shivam Singh, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Harshal Patel, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Vidhwath Kaverappa and Prince Choudhary

PBKS 2024 Full Updated squad: Punjab Kings probable playing XI, replacement, Captain, schedule for IPL 2024

Rishabh Pant, after 14 months of the&nbsp;horrific car crash&nbsp;is set to return to competitive cricket with IPL 2024. He will take charge of the Delhi Capitals (DC) and lead them in their opening fixture, versus Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Chandigarh. Ahead of DC's clash versus&nbsp;PBKS, Pant shared his feelings about returning to the 22-yard cricket strip after a long hiatus.&nbsp;

In DC's pre-season camp, in Visakhapatnam, Pant said, "Jittery, nervous, excited- all of it, but at the same time, just happy, being able to come back to professional cricket. I'm just looking forward to playing my first game tomorrow," Pant further expressed. "Every time I take the field, it's a different feeling altogether. I just wanted to bat as much as I could and get better every day. I don't think much ahead, I take one day at a time, and give my 100%."

Speaking about the one-time finalists Delhi and their&nbsp;approach towards the games this season, Pant&nbsp;stated, "Most of the conversations are pretty simple, we just want to go out there, have fun, not complicate things and give our 100% in all the games."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-punjabs-liam-livingstone-backs-2-bouncers-rule-in-an-over-says-it-brings-balance-703137">IPL 2024: Punjab’s Liam Livingstone backs 2 bouncers rule in an over, says it brings balance</a>

<h2>'Rishabh Pant&nbsp;is the heartbeat of this franchise'</h2>

Meanwhile, head coach Ricky Ponting also spoke at length about the team's preparedness for the season. He opined, "Make no mistake, we have got a great team this year. Our preparations have been absolutely perfect. We are just looking to topping it off today, and make sure we put a performance that I know would be good enough to win the game tomorrow."

"We are about to start an IPL, it's really an exciting time of the year. It becomes more exciting when your captain is back in your team. He is our leader, he is the heartbeat of this franchise and having him back is going to make this team a lot stronger."

"We had a week's training in Vizag before coming here and trust me Rishabh is back and ready to play. He will be a little bit nervous tomorrow, playing his first game in a while but nerves are always good because it means something to you. I've seen where his game is at, and don't be surprised if something special happens tomorrow," the former Aussie captain added.

In IPL 2023, David Warner led DC in absence of Pant. They ended at the ninth spot and, hence,&nbsp;will be desperate to enter the playoffs and claim their maiden title.

DC Squad for IPL 2024:&nbsp;Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Shai Hope, &nbsp;Prithvi Shaw, Harry Brook, Yash Dhull, Swastik Chikara, David Warner, &nbsp;Pravin Dubey, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Sumit Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Salem

Rishabh Pant, after 14 months of the horrific car crash is set to return to competitive cricket with IPL 2024. He will take charge of the Delhi Capitals (DC) and lead them in their opening fixture, versus Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Chandigarh.

Rishabh Pant, after 14 months of the horrific car crash is set to return to competitive cricket with IPL 2024. He will take charge of the Delhi Capitals (DC) and lead them in their opening fixture, versus Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Chandigarh. Ahead of DC's clash versus PBKS, Pant shared his feelings about returning to the 22-yard cricket strip after a long hiatus. In DC's pre-season camp, in Visakhapatnam, Pant said, "Jittery, nervous, excited- all of it, but at the same time, just happy, being able to come back to professional cricket. I'm just looking forward to playing my first game tomorrow," Pant further expressed. "Every time I take the field, it's a different feeling altogether. I just wanted to bat as much as I could and get better every day. I don't think much ahead, I take one day at a time, and give my 100%." Speaking about the one-time finalists Delhi and their approach towards the games this season, Pant stated, "Most of the conversations are pretty simple, we just want to go out there, have fun, not complicate things and give our 100% in all the games." Also read: IPL 2024: Punjab’s Liam Livingstone backs 2 bouncers rule in an over, says it brings balance 'Rishabh Pant is the heartbeat of this franchise' Meanwhile, head coach Ricky Ponting also spoke at length about the team's preparedness for the season. He opined, "Make no mistake, we have got a great team this year. Our preparations have been absolutely perfect. We are just looking to topping it off today, and make sure we put a performance that I know would be good enough to win the game tomorrow." "We are about to start an IPL, it's really an exciting time of the year. It becomes more exciting when your captain is back in your team. He is our leader, he is the heartbeat of this franchise and having him back is going to make this team a lot stronger." "We had a week's training in Vizag before coming here and trust me Rishabh is back and ready to play. He will be a little bit nervous tomorrow, playing his first game in a while but nerves are always good because it means something to you. I've seen where his game is at, and don't be surprised if something special happens tomorrow," the former Aussie captain added. In IPL 2023, David Warner led DC in absence of Pant. They ended at the ninth spot and, hence, will be desperate to enter the playoffs and claim their maiden title. DC Squad for IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Harry Brook, Yash Dhull, Swastik Chikara, David Warner, Pravin Dubey, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Sumit Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Salem

IPL 2024: 'Jittery, nervous, excited' - Delhi Capitals' captain Rishabh Pant ahead of opener vs PBKS

England and Punjab Kings all-rounder Liam Livingstone says the introduction of two bouncers per over rule in the IPL will bring balance to the game, resulting in excitement among cricketers and fans. Ahead of PBKS’ season opener against Delhi Capitals at their new home ground in Chandigarh on Saturday (March 23), Livingstone feels the vibe and said the team held several practice sessions at the new stadium to get used to the conditions.

"It's a new stadium. We've had 5-6 training sessions to get used to the conditions here. We retained most of our players from last season, and everyone's excited for the challenges that lie ahead of us,” Livingstone said during the pre-game presser in Chandigarh.

Speaking on the positives from the last season despite Punjab failing to seal the playoffs spot, Liam said the team remained in contention for the top-four finish until the last few games and aims to improve this season to ensure they are among the top teams on the points table.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-good-to-catch-up-with-ms-dhoni-rcbs-virat-kohli-excited-for-curtain-raiser-vs-csk-703102">IPL 2024: ‘Good to catch up with MS Dhoni’ – RCB’s Virat Kohli excited for curtain raiser vs CSK</a>

"We did a lot of good things last season. We were in the running for a playoff spot until the last couple of games. We've got a really good squad, and the team environment is great. We'll certainly look to improve our performance this season,” the star all-rounder added.

Liam said the team plans to enjoy their time in the middle, with a solid aim of doing most things correctly and falling on the right side of results this season.

"We'll be looking to have a lot of fun and enjoy ourselves on the park and step up in the big moments. We should deal with the pressure moments well, and hopefully, we'll come up on the right side more times than not,” Livingstone noted.

<h2>2 bouncers rule will help bring balance</h2>

The addition of two bouncers per over rule will benefit the balance of the game, feels Liam, who admits the level of excitement will only improve following the implication of this rule.

"I think it'll be good to have two bouncers available. The bowlers have complained a lot over the years that everything is in the batters' favour, so they've got something in their favour now. It'll be interesting to see how it goes,” Livingstone said.&nbsp;

England and Punjab Kings all-rounder Liam Livingstone says the introduction of two bouncers per over rule in the IPL will bring balance to the game, resulting in excitement among cricketers and fans.

England and Punjab Kings all-rounder Liam Livingstone says the introduction of two bouncers per over rule in the IPL will bring balance to the game, resulting in excitement among cricketers and fans. Ahead of PBKS’ season opener against Delhi Capitals at their new home ground in Chandigarh on Saturday (March 23), Livingstone feels the vibe and said the team held several practice sessions at the new stadium to get used to the conditions. "It's a new stadium. We've had 5-6 training sessions to get used to the conditions here. We retained most of our players from last season, and everyone's excited for the challenges that lie ahead of us,” Livingstone said during the pre-game presser in Chandigarh. Speaking on the positives from the last season despite Punjab failing to seal the playoffs spot, Liam said the team remained in contention for the top-four finish until the last few games and aims to improve this season to ensure they are among the top teams on the points table. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: ‘Good to catch up with MS Dhoni’ – RCB’s Virat Kohli excited for curtain raiser vs CSK "We did a lot of good things last season. We were in the running for a playoff spot until the last couple of games. We've got a really good squad, and the team environment is great. We'll certainly look to improve our performance this season,” the star all-rounder added. Liam said the team plans to enjoy their time in the middle, with a solid aim of doing most things correctly and falling on the right side of results this season. "We'll be looking to have a lot of fun and enjoy ourselves on the park and step up in the big moments. We should deal with the pressure moments well, and hopefully, we'll come up on the right side more times than not,” Livingstone noted. 2 bouncers rule will help bring balance The addition of two bouncers per over rule will benefit the balance of the game, feels Liam, who admits the level of excitement will only improve following the implication of this rule. "I think it'll be good to have two bouncers available. The bowlers have complained a lot over the years that everything is in the batters' favour, so they've got something in their favour now. It'll be interesting to see how it goes,” Livingstone said.

IPL 2024: Punjab’s Liam Livingstone backs 2 bouncers rule in an over, says it brings balance

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2024 saw drama being unfolded when Punjab Kings decided they didn't want a player after buying him. The incident involved an uncapped Indian cricketer named Shashank Singh. The IPL franchise, however, issued a clarification that the player was always in the plans and the cricketer has now reacted to it.

"It's All Cool ... Thank you for Trusting on me!!!!", wrote the 32-year-old batter from Chhattisgarh on his social media handle X. Have a look at the video below:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It’s All Cool … Thank you for Trusting on me!!!! <a href="https://t.co/Gs9hOnRspa">https://t.co/Gs9hOnRspa</a>
— shashank singh (@shashank2191) <a href="https://twitter.com/shashank2191/status/1737455309168480438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The drama started because there were two players with the same name: a 32-year-old batter and a 19-year-old player from Bengal. After the hammer went down on Shashank for a base price of INR 20 lakh, the Kings' table moved to the next player, Tanay Thyagarajan, whom they bought as well. Kings co-owner Ness Wadia then tried to inform the auctioneer, Mallika Sagar about the wrong player matter, but the request was turned down.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/england-coach-matthew-mott-happy-with-phil-salt-jos-buttler-opening-pair-for-t20-world-cup-671952">England coach Matthew Mott happy with Phil Salt-Jos Buttler opening pair for T20 World Cup</a>

Later, Punjab Kings confirmed that they bought the right player. They also issued a statement which read: "Official Update Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him on board and see him contribute to our success."

The player they bought has been with multiple IPL teams and played for SunRisers Hyderabad in the last season. Punjab Kings&nbsp;bought a total of eight players with their biggest buy being Harshal Patel for INR 11.75 crore.

Punjab Kings Full Squad: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw. &nbsp;

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2024 saw drama being unfolded when Punjab Kings decided they didn't want a player after buying him. The incident involved an uncapped Indian cricketer named Shashank Singh.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2024 saw drama being unfolded when Punjab Kings decided they didn't want a player after buying him. The incident involved an uncapped Indian cricketer named Shashank Singh. The IPL franchise, however, issued a clarification that the player was always in the plans and the cricketer has now reacted to it. "It's All Cool ... Thank you for Trusting on me!!!!", wrote the 32-year-old batter from Chhattisgarh on his social media handle X. Have a look at the video below: It’s All Cool … Thank you for Trusting on me!!!! https://t.co/Gs9hOnRspa — shashank singh (@shashank2191) December 20, 2023 × The drama started because there were two players with the same name: a 32-year-old batter and a 19-year-old player from Bengal. After the hammer went down on Shashank for a base price of INR 20 lakh, the Kings' table moved to the next player, Tanay Thyagarajan, whom they bought as well. Kings co-owner Ness Wadia then tried to inform the auctioneer, Mallika Sagar about the wrong player matter, but the request was turned down. Also Read: England coach Matthew Mott happy with Phil Salt-Jos Buttler opening pair for T20 World Cup Later, Punjab Kings confirmed that they bought the right player. They also issued a statement which read: "Official Update Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him on board and see him contribute to our success." The player they bought has been with multiple IPL teams and played for SunRisers Hyderabad in the last season. Punjab Kings bought a total of eight players with their biggest buy being Harshal Patel for INR 11.75 crore. Punjab Kings Full Squad: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.

IPL 2024 Auction: Shashank Singh, bought by Punjab Kings, reacts to confusion

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