Shashank Singh breaks into iconic Shah Rukh Khan pose after blitzkrieg fifty against KKR in Punjab Kings' record chase
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The night may have belonged to Jonny Bairstow, who couldn't have timed his redemption more perfectly in the ongoing IPL 2024 season, scoring a monstrous hundred, but in-form Shashank Singh played an equally significant role for Punjab Kings on Friday as the visitors at the Eden Gardens left Kolkata Knight Riders completely befuddled. Shashank blasted eight sixes in his thundering unbeaten knock of 68 off just 28 balls as Punjab pulled off a sensational heist to record the highest-ever successful chase in T20 history.
In response to the humongous target, PBKS openers Prabhsimran Singh and Bairstow smashed a 93-run stand in the powerplay, where the former scored a fiery 20-ball 54, before the veteran England star found himself in a 85-run stand with Rilee Rossouw. But Punjab still had a lot to cover, with the equation standing at 84 required of the remaining 39 balls.
With Punjab still having the momentum in the mighty chase, Shashank walked in next and smashed eight sixes and two boundaries in his blitzkrieg fifty, which included the winning shot off Ramandeep Singh as the tourists wrapped up the match with eight wickets in hand and eight balls to spare.
After the match, the official social media handle of Punjab Kings posted a video of Shashank where the batter broke into the iconic Shah Rukh Khan pose to celebrate his knock and the massive win. With the music of the Bollywood legend's blockbuster movie 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' playing in the background, Shashank said, "Thank You Eden Gardens". PBKS captioned the video: “Sssshhhh…. Shaaaaashaaaaa… Shashankkkkkk!”
'Shashank Singh has been the find of the tournament'
After the eight-wicket win, which saw Punjab Kings move to the eighth spot in the points table as they snapped their four-match losing streak, stand-in skipper Sam Curran was all praise for Shashank.
"Pleased for Johnny. What an amazing knock. Shashank Singh has been the find of the tournament for us. Ashutosh as well. Proud of everyone," he said in the post-match presentation.
The right-handed batter, who made his IPL debut back in 2022, smashed 263 runs in the ongoing season at a sensational strike rate of 182.64, laced with two fifties.
