NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings batsman Shashank Singh, who made yet another statement with the bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Mullanpur, remarked that self-belief and the demands of domestic cricket are the reasons behind unheralded players' success in the current Indian Premier League.
Shashank and Ashutosh Sharma (33 off 15 balls) nearly pulled off another win for PBKS on Tuesday, nearly reaching the winning total of 183 after Shashank blasted an undefeated 46 off 25 deliveries. However, the team lost by two runs.
Shashank's valiant effort followed an unbeaten 61 that had enabled PBKS to defeat Gujarat Titans three wickets on April 4 in a high-scoring encounter.
Everyone praised Shashank for having faith in his ability, even in the face of defeat.
"The only thing is self-belief. Like the way we play domestic cricket. Like you see SRH's Nitish (Reddy) here. He usually scores and takes wickets in white-ball and red-ball cricket (in domestic competitions)," said Shashank, decoding the mantra behind his and the performance of a lot of youngsters in the ongoing edition of the IPL.
Young Reddy scored a vital 37-ball 64, which lifted Sunrisers Hyderabad to a challenging 182/9.
Besides Reddy and Shashank, the ongoing IPL has also seen a few lesser-known cricketers, such as PBKS' Ashutosh Sharma and Kolkata Knight Riders' Angkrish Raghuvanshi, turning the fortunes of their respective sides.
Shashank said the success in IPL has a lot to do with the grind in domestic cricket.
"The way we play in domestic cricket. Nitish and Ashutosh have performed in Mushtaq Ali, Vijay Hazare and Ranji Trophy, (same for) Angkrish," Shashank said during the post-match press conference.
"You can say these players are unknown but they are known players in the domestic circuit. They did well in the domestic circuit and their performances in IPL are a reward of that (hard work). You need to continue your domestic performance here. Cricket is a game of self-belief at this level," he added.
Shashank looked visibly disappointed after the loss.
"We lost the match by two runs but the most painful thing is to lose a match because we play to win. A defeat is a defeat whether it is by two runs or 20 runs. I must credit Ashutosh for turning the match, the way he batted in the last over. We had belief till the second-last ball that it is possible," Shashank said.
"We did a lot of match simulation in the camp before the IPL. We (Ashutosh and I) used to shuffle between 5 and 6 in the batting order. We had been given a lot of scenarios like 60 or 70 off five overs and we chased that target a lot of times. So we always had the belief."
Player of the Match Nitish was commended by SRH batsman Abdul Samad for his efforts with the bat and the ball. After reaching a half-century, the 20-year-old also claimed Jitesh Sharma's vital wicket.
"Last year Nitish played conventional shots but this year he is totally different. He has had a good preparation. Everyone had confidence in him and that's the reason he was promoted," said Samad.
Asked about lesser-known players giving impactful performances, Samad said, "First season for them, so they have got nothing to lose and they are eager to perform. They look very hungry."
(With PTI inputs)
1/9:Punjab Kings suffer narrow loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad
<p>Punjab Kings suffer narrow loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad</p>AFP
2/9:Young Nitish Reddy's Heroic Innings
<p>Young Nitish Reddy showcased remarkable character with a 37-ball 64, guiding Sunrisers Hyderabad to a thrilling two-run victory over Punjab Kings in a see-sawing IPL encounter.</p>AFP
3/9:SRH's Recovery
<p>Sent in to bat, Reddy's explosive knock rescued SRH from a precarious position of 66 for four in the 10th over, propelling them to a competitive total of 182/9.</p>AFP
4/9:PBKS Fight Back
<p>Punjab Kings fought valiantly in their chase, with Shashank Singh (46*) and Ashutosh Sharma (33*) forging a crucial 66-run partnership, keeping their hopes alive till the very end.</p>AFP
5/9:Last Over Drama
<p>Despite needing 29 runs in the final over, SRH's victory was far from assured as Shashank and Ashutosh mounted a daring challenge, coming within touching distance of an improbable win.</p>AFP
6/9:Reddy's Explosive Batting
<p>Hailing from Visakhapatnam, Reddy's innings was studded with five sixes and four fours, anchoring SRH's innings with his aggressive strokeplay.</p>AFP
7/9:Arshdeep Singh's Brilliance
<p>Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh starred with the ball for PBKS, claiming impressive figures of 4/29, yet SRH managed to post a formidable total against all odds.</p>AFP
8/9:Dhawan's Captaincy
<p>Despite early setbacks in decision making, PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan led from the front, concocting the plans for key dismissals and marshalling his troops effectively in the field.</p>AFP
