Punjab Kings’ Shashank Singh emphasized the significance of self-belief for batters, recounting his and Ashutosh Sharma’s unwavering faith in their ability to guide their team to victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chasing a daunting target of 283, Punjab Kings fell short by just two runs. When Shashank and Ashutosh came together, 69 runs were required off 27 deliveries. Despite the seemingly insurmountable task, they remained resolute.
“We have to give credit to Ashutosh for this – the way he batted in the last over (With 29 runs needed, Kings scored 26). We both believed till the second last ball (10 were needed) that it’s possible. We were talking in gestures that it’s possible,” Shashank said at the post-match press conference.
Shashank highlighted his role as a middle-order batsman, emphasizing his responsibility to “take the game as deep as possible.” He and Ashutosh had developed a strong belief in their abilities through extensive match simulations during the pre-season camp.
“We did a lot of match simulations. We had a camp before the IPL started. We used to bat at Nos. 5, 6, and 7. We were given a lot of scenarios – 60 runs from 5 overs, 70 from 5… We chased down those a lot of times. We had a lot of belief.”
Despite their valiant effort, Punjab Kings ultimately fell short. However, Shashank’s words serve as a reminder of the importance of self-belief and the power of teamwork in overcoming adversity.
