Bengaluru, Mar 25 (UNI) The middle-order stutter threatened to derail Punjab Kings' innings, but Shashank Singh's explosive cameo ensured they finished on a high note against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 6th match of the IPL 2024 at Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.
His aggressive knock of an unbeaten 21 off 8 balls with one boundary and 2 sixes, injected crucial momentum into the innings, propelling the Kings to a competitive total of 176/6.
Despite losing wickets at crucial junctures, Punjab Kings managed to maintain a respectable run rate throughout their innings, thanks to contributions from various batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan's steady innings (45 off 37 5x4s 1x6) at the top provided a solid platform, while Prabhsimran Singh's (25 off 17 3x4s)partnership with him stabilized the innings after the early loss of Jonny Bairstow (8).
RCB's bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj 2/26), made significant breakthroughs in the latter part of the innings, applying pressure on the Punjab Kings' batting lineup. However, the late flourish from Shashank ensured that Punjab Kings posted a challenging target for RCB to chase.
With a challenging on the board, Punjab Kings would be looking to their bowlers to defend their score and secure a crucial victory in this IPL 2024 encounter.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 176 for 6 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 45, Prabhsimran Singh 25, Sam Curran 23, Jitesh Sharma 27; Glenn Maxwell 2/29, Md Siraj 2/26) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
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