Ahmedabad, May 4: Punjab Kings‘ (PBKS) Suryaansh Shadge recalled his journey to the playing eleven, stating that the time spent on the bench was beneficial for him. It allowed him to prepare both physically and mentally.
During the match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday evening, the pitch presented challenges, with the ball behaving unpredictably, making batting difficult. Shadge came in to bat at number six when Punjab’s score was just 36 runs for 4 wickets in the seventh over. Shortly after, Shreyas Iyer was dismissed, leaving the team at 47 runs for 5 wickets.
Shadge then formed a crucial partnership with Marcus Stoinis, scoring 79 runs off just 44 balls. Shadge contributed 57 runs from 29 balls, hitting 3 fours and 5 sixes, with a strike rate of 196.55. He aimed to lead the team to a respectable score.
After the match, Shadge commented, “I wouldn’t say I was waiting, but I was preparing myself. The time spent on the bench helped me. It allowed me to get ready physically and mentally. Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer always said to seize the opportunity when it arises, and I tried to do just that.”
He added, “My goal was to stay at the crease for as long as possible. This made it easier to play. On such a pitch, a batsman needs to settle in before playing big shots. Scoring 240 or 250 runs on this wicket was not feasible as it did not allow for that.”
Punjab Kings managed to score a total of 163 runs. While this total was slightly below par, Shadge believes the team performed well. He stated, “We could have scored 20-25 runs more, but 163 was still a competitive score. We gave it our all and learned many valuable lessons from this match.”
In bowling, Arshdeep Singh delivered an impressive performance, conceding only 24 runs in 4 overs and taking 2 wickets, keeping the team in contention. Vijaykumar Vaishakh also showcased his skills, claiming the crucial wickets of Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan while giving away 31 runs in 4 overs.
Shadge praised Vaishakh’s bowling, saying, “Before the powerplay ended, our bowling coach instructed him to bowl on a ‘hard length’. After that, you saw how well he bowled.”
Despite the loss, Punjab Kings remain at the top of the table with 13 points from 9 matches. They will face Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 6, aiming to return to winning ways and maintain their lead in the standings.
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