'I knew I'd be batting around 5-7 in the IPL, so I have been planning on how to take my innings deep.'
Shashank Singh says his ability to pick the bowlers and take the game deep helped him produce the blistering unbeaten 68 off 28 balls which played a big role in Punjab Kings's record-breaking eight-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL match in Kolkata on Friday.
When Shashank entered the field, PBKS needed 84 runs from 7.3 overs to overhaul KKR's daunting 261 for 6. Jonny Bairstow, the eventual centurion, was then batting at the other end on 93 off 39 balls.
However, Shashank did not bat an eyelid while knocking off 68 runs (2x4, 8x6) in that period as Bairstow added just 15 off nine balls during their third-wicket alliance, which saw Punjab raising the bar for the highest run chase in T20s.
“Before this, in the pre-camp and in the domestic matches, I was batting to make sure I could take the game as deep as possible.
“I knew I'd be batting around 5-7 in the IPL, so I have been planning on how to take my innings deep,” said Shashank on Jio Cinema.
But there was a lot of cricketing smarts too in his innings as Shashank left alone KKR spinner Sunil Narine while focussing on other bowlers to collect his runs.
“I know that Sunil Narine is a world-class bowler, so I knew there was no point in over-attacking him. He's someone to hit singles, doubles, or nudge the ball towards the boundary.
“There were other bowlers to target, so my aim was to take it deep and pick my bowlers to target,” he said.
In fact, Shashank faced seven balls out of 28 from Narine and scored just three runs, while putting other bowlers through the wringer, making the remaining 65 off 21 balls.
The 32-year-old said his own experience and talks with his father and coaches at PBKS helped him in his journey.
“If we talk about smartness, it's coming with experience. Secondly, I spend a lot of time discussing cricket with my father. Last time when I got out too quickly, my dad told me that I should've played further back because it was a slow wicket.
“I have these conversations with my father at home and the world-class coaches who are here. I enjoy asking questions and understanding what they do. I think if I take clues from them, it'll improve my cricket,” he added.
