In an exhilarating Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Mullanpur Stadium, Punjab Kings (PBKS) came agonizingly close to clinching another remarkable victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Tuesday. Despite a resilient partnership from Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, PBKS fell short by just two runs in their chase of 183 runs.
After losing early wickets, including skipper Jonny Bairstow's dismissal by Pat Cummins for a duck, PBKS found themselves struggling at 20/3 in 4.4 overs. However, a spirited fightback from Shashank and Ashutosh helped them reach the 50-run mark in 8.2 overs.
Despite some aggressive strokeplay, PBKS lost wickets at crucial junctures, with Shashank departing for 46 runs and Ashutosh unbeaten on 33 runs in 15 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's disciplined bowling, taking 2 wickets for 32 runs, played a pivotal role for SRH.
Earlier in the match, Punjab's bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh's impressive spell of 4 wickets for 29 runs, restricted SRH to 182/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Nitish Reddy top-scored for SRH with a blistering 64 off 37 balls, while Abdul Samad provided a quickfire cameo of 25 runs in 12 balls.
Despite a valiant effort from both sides, it was SRH who emerged victorious, climbing to fifth place in the IPL standings with three wins and two losses, while PBKS remains in sixth place with two wins and three losses.
