Shashank Singh smashed 23 runs in the last over of Punjab Kings’ innings © BCCI/IPL Shashank Singh, the Punjab Kings batter, heaped praise on his skipper, Shreyas Iyer, for putting the interest of the team ahead of his personal milestone. Heading into the last over of Kings’ innings, Shreyas was unbeaten on 97 while Shashank took strike. The latter smashed 23 runs in the final over but couldn’t pass on the strike to Iyer, who was left stranded at the other end, to complete his maiden IPL century. “It takes a lot of heart and courage to say this because obviously hundreds don’t come easily in T20, especially in the IPL,” Shashank said of the skipper’s diktat before the final over. Shashank’s disclosure came after Punjab Kings beat Gujarat Titans by 11 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night. He wanted to take a single to allow Iyer to reach his maiden three-figure score in the IPL, but he was instead advised to go for the shots. “He only came and told me, ‘Shashank, don’t worry about my 100.’ Obviously, I was going to say to him, ‘should I give you a single or something?’” Shashank amassed 23 runs in the final over, which included a wide, and that propelled Punjab Kings’ total to 243 for five, which proved decisive in the end. “So obviously the way Shreyas told me that ‘Shashank go and just hit every ball for a boundary or a six,’ that gave me even more confidence. It’s a team game at the end of the day we all know that, but then in those situations, it’s difficult to be that selfless. But Shreyas was,” Shashank, who remained unbeaten on 44 (off 18 balls with six fours and two sixes), said. The two added 81 runs for the unbeaten sixth wicket in just about five overs. “I mean, I have known him for the past 10-15 years. He’s the same. And obviously, he told me just to be calm, to play cricketing shots, what I usually play to maintain my balance and obviously by God’s grace, I think we had a good finish,” Shashank said. Iyer was adjudged Player of the Match for his 42-ball innings that included nine sixes and five fours.
