Former Indian cricketer, Anil Kumble has praised Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Shahrukh Khan for his unbeaten 23 (10), as seven runs were needed in the last over. He helped his side to chase down the 160-run target with three balls remaining.
While, PBKS in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, has now won three games and lost two in five fixtures it played this season. Their last win came against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) when they clinched the game by two wickets.
Anil Kumble thinks Shahrukh Khan’s innings will boost his confidence-
“He is a finisher. That is what he does for Tamil Nadu in the games he’s played for them and it was really nice to see him finish things off. In the previous game as well, he had a cameo right at the end. But this one was under pressure,” said veteran Indian leg spinner on Jio Cinema.
Shahrukh plays for Tamil Nadu and has been part of the victorious team which won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020-21 and 2021-22. Besides, his hitting abilities have helped the state team to a great extent. Thus, PBKS bought the Tamil Nadu batter for a huge sum of INR 9 crores in the IPL 2023 mini-auction.
“They had to get almost 10 runs an over in the last two overs, with Harpreet Brar on the other end and Skiander Raza got out in the previous over. That was a well-made 23 to finish things off for Punjab. This will give him a lot of confidence going into the latter half of the tournament,” he further added.
Sikandar Raza, who plays for Zimbabwe, made a “calculated assault” as per Sunil Gavaskar against LSG spinner Krunal Pandya. Raza smashed Krunal for two back-to-back sixes and a four in the 13th over to put the pressure back on the home side while chasing a 160-run target.
Raza scored 57 runs off 41 balls to guide his side to a two-wicket win over the home side at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
“I think Punjab was very impressive on the field. The ground fielding was good but the catching was brilliant, especially from Shahrukh Khan in the deep, it’s not easy because you’re not only looking to get under the ball but also worried about the line there. It was brilliant from Shahrukh Khan,” stated Kumble.
Shahrukh Khan and happy endings ??@PunjabKingsIPL seal their third victory in #IPL2023 ?#IPLonJioCinema #TATAIPL | @shahrukh_35 pic.twitter.com/9jO8L3hAD9
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) April 15, 2023
While in the chase, PBKS lost their opener in the very first over as Atharva Taide got out without troubling the scorers, while Prabhsimran Singh was dismissed in the 3rd over. Later with Short’s effort at one down position and Harpreet Singh’s 22 and Raza’s effort, PBKS ended their innings on 161/8 to chase down the target.