GT VS PBKS MATCH 17

Right then, Punjab pick up a crucial away victory and leapfrog their opponents Gujarat on the points table thanks to a superior net run rate and now, things are starting to get interesting with a lot of teams on similar points. Next up is another big clash between Hyderabad and Chennai in Hyderabad and that will be played on Friday, 5 April at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). You can join us a lot sooner for the build-up as usual. Until then, take care and cheers!

Shashank Singh is the Player of the Match for his match-winning knock. Singh says that his heart is still pounding and you only dream of these things and reality is very different. Adds that he just wanted to see the ball and hit the ball on its merit and goes on to say that the pitch has even bounce and good carry as both teams did well. Mentions that the opposition did have great bowlers but when he goes out to bat, he has to think of himself as the best and back himself. Adds that he has waited for this opportunity and is happy to have done well.

Shikhar Dhawan, the captain of Punjab says it was an amazing game and was too close. He says he is delighted with the way the two youngsters finished off the game. He adds that they had a decent Powerplay but then certainly lost the momentum by losing quick wickets in the middle overs. But appreciates Shashank Singh with the way he played and hit those sixes effortlessly. Says it is not too easy to time the ball coming down the order, and further adds that he timed the ball so nicely and at the same time he kept his cool, especially playing after a long wait. He says that he has earned his spot. Also lauds Ashutosh Sharma and says that he played a brilliant cameo along with Shashank.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and put Gujarat into bat first. It was a decision that was the right one in the end but Gujarat did get off to a solid start even after losing Wriddhiman Saha inside 3 overs. Shubman Gill was fluent and played an anchoring role as the likes of Kane Williamson and Sai Sudharsan came in and garnered a few crucial runs and the latter was pretty quick to get those runs as well. Gill carried on till the end and remained unbeaten on 89 big runs as Rahul Tewatia played a blinder yet again against Punjab and got his side to 199 runs. With the ball, Punjab were mostly erratic with the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Harshal Patel going for runs but Rabada did pick up wickets. Arshdeep Singh and Harpreet Brar were economical which helped a bit. In reply, Punjab went on to record the highest successful chase of the season thanks to a couple of sensational knocks down the order from two young batters.

Ashutosh Sharma, one of the stars of the run chase is down for a chat now. Ashutosh says that he would like to thank the Punjab side for believing in him and is ecstatic with his performance in the first game and says that the most important thing is that the team won. Adds that Shikhar Dhawan made him believe in himself and he backed himself to do it and he has done the same in the domestic circuit as well and also goes on to appreciate the work of Sanjay Bangar who gave him the confidence to do well on the big stage. Mentions that back home, he had a word with his former coach and is very happy to have made an impact here.

Shubman Gill, the Gujarat skipper is down for a quick chat. On being asked about where the game changed, he says that a couple of catches dropped made the difference. Reckons that the bowlers did a good job but that's the nature of the Indian T20 League, and it keeps throwing such crunch games. He adds the ball was doing well initially and thinks that they had enough on the board. On being asked about giving the final over to Darshan Nalkande, he states that the way he bowled in the previous game, it was a no-brainer to hand over the ball to him. Adds that there will be cricketers who will come and play blinders. Ends up by saying they will come back stronger in the next game.

Gujarat will feel they have let one go here and a couple of dropped catches and a few difficult chances here and there were the difference between victory and defeat. The pacers didn't start off well with the ball but Umesh Yadav was able to get the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan pretty early on. However, it was the introduction of Noor Ahmad that turned the game on his head as he bowled brilliantly and the others were able to bowl around him. In the second half of the chase, Mohit Sharma was the pick of the bowlers yet again for Gujarat but the likes of Rashid Khan, Umesh Yadav, and Azmatullah Omarzai were all very expensive and Shubman Gill was forced to introduce a new bowler in the very final over. Darshan Nalkande was given the task of keeping it down to 6 or fewer runs which was always going to be very difficult and Gujarat went on to lose their second game.

200 needed for the win and their talismanic skipper Shikhar Dhawan fell early. Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh then took the attack to the opposition but neither could convert it into a big score. Punjab were in all sorts of trouble at 70/4 inside 9 overs and went on to lose another wicket inside 13 overs. Shashank Singh then started to fire and had Jitesh Sharma for company but the latter and the more experienced batter got out just when he started to fire. Then came in the Impact Player in the form of Ashutosh Sharma and to hold this substitution for such a long while turned out to be the telling factor. Singh launched an onslaught and went on to score his maiden Fifty and with the game almost in the bag, Ashutosh got out off the first delivery of the final over after a stunning cameo, testing the nerves of the team. With 5 needed, Singh got that deserved slice of luck as the ball went flying off the outside edge and they were able to seal the deal on the next delivery.

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS! What a game and what a win here for Punjab! A couple of newbies to the biggest stage have pulled them out of the abyss and have taken them to a crucial win. Ashutosh Sharma was brilliant but it was Shashank Singh who was the real hero of this unlikely run chase. Punjab now become the team with the most 200 or more scores chased down in the tournament's history as well.

PUNJAB WIN A FAMOUS GAME HERE AT AHMEDABAD, and it has been the two youngsters who have turned the tables for them absolutely out of nowhere! On a fuller length, sliding down the leg stump line, Shashank Singh misses to flick it away and the ball brushes off his pads before trickling down to short fine. They take a leg bye and that will do it for Punjab. A review though, has been taken by Gujarat for LBW in their final resort. UltraEdge shows that the ball has clearly passed through the bat with no scratch, and the Ball Tracker confirms two greens as the ball misses to hit the stumps and also, the impact is outside leg. Punjab register their second win of the season and execute a huge upset against Gujarat in their backyard. Also, this has been the highest successful run chase in this edition of the Indian T20 League.

EDGED AND FOUR! SCORES LEVEL! Punjab will take it with open arms.  On a shade fuller length attacking the stumps, Shashank Singh swings the bat wildly to flick it over the leg side, but it catches the leading edge that flies over short third for a boundary. What an absolute turnover this has been, courtesy of the two youngsters.

Slower one, on the back of a length, Harpreet Brar pulls it to deep square leg for a single. 5 off 3. Tighten your seatbelts, folks. This is going down to the wire.

Oh, no! Another extra! Would you believe it? Wriddhiman Saha thinks otherwise and challenges the Umpire's decision. Nalkande bowls it short in length, on the leg stump line, Harpreet Brar arches back underneath the ball with his bat in the air. The ball carries to the keeper and the Umpire stretches it to signal it as a Wide. Replays come in from a couple of angles and the split-screen shows that it's not going over Brar's head. A fantastic review by Wriddhiman Saha as the on-field decision has been overturned now.  But more importantly, a crucial dot delivery for Gujarat.

WIDE! Oh, dear! Too short, over the top of the southpaw's head. Harpreet Brar fails to ramp it away and the Umpire signals for a Wide. Just 6 needed off the 5 legal deliveries now.

Harpreet Brar walks out to bat now.

OUT! TAKEN! What a sea-saw of emotions here for the fans! Darshan Nalkande bowls a slower one on the back of a length, Ashutosh Sharma hits it uppishly with the bottom half of the hand and the ball dollies straight into the safe hands of Rashid Khan who is patrolling the long on boundary. He doesn't move an inch and takes an absolute sitter of a catch. Another twist in the story here. But what a scintillating knock from Ashutosh Sharma as he has provided a glimmer of hope for his team out of nowhere.

7 needed off the final over. Umesh Yadav has one over remaining but he has been pretty expensive and Shubman Gill has a couple of unused bowlers as well. Surely he goes for Umesh here, right? No, Darshan Nalkande has been handed the ball and what a situation he finds himself in. Can he defend 6 runs and be the hero for his side?