Punjab needed 29 runs to win the match in the final over, with Shashank on strike. Anticipating a yorker, the batter had prepared himself but Hazlewood delivered a thigh-high full-toss, leaving him surprised. On the first two balls no run was scored.
Shashank managed to score 22 runs on from the next 4 deliveries, but it wasn’t enough.
“I had done my calculation of the last two overs, Bhuvi likes to bowl yorkers so I had planned to get at least 16-17 runs from him. My calculation was that in the last over our target should be 24 runs in 6 balls. I got only 13 from Bhuvi’s over though, so the final over runs needed was 30,” Singh said in a chat with the Indian Express.
“Mentally, my mind was ready to get a first ball yorker from Hazelwood. So I had positioned myself but I never anticipated a full toss one, that too on my thigh pad. Now I feel, if I would have connected it, even if I got it on the handle of the bat, I would have got maximum, because the fine-leg was near. I was hoping for a wide from him but it never came. When I saw the scoreboard stating the last ball needed 12 runs, I knew it’s all over,” he added.
As Shashank went to the dressing room, he couldn’t stop crying. Even though people praised the effort he put in the middle. The full toss hi missed on the first ball of the final over still haunts him.
“I’m a strong person but I couldn’t control myself when I hit that six on the fifth ball and I saw 12 runs needed off the last ball. I realised it’s all over. When I came to the dressing room, everyone came and said, why am I crying? I told them, mujhe apne aap aansoon aa raha hai,” he shared.
“People appreciated my batting wherever I have gone but all are reminding me of that one full toss miss. Mujhe bahut bura laga. The ball was on my hip, square leg was up, I just had to get that bat in which I couldn’t. From hotel to airport to ground to home, everyone had that one point bhaiyya woh ball mar dete bas,” he says.
The batter has pledged to not just make it to the final of IPL 2026 in Bengaluru but also win the title.
“Next year we are playing the final in Bangalore for sure and we will lift the Trophy too,” he said.
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