"Thank you Preity Mam for always supporting and motivating me" - Shashank Singh replies to Preity Zinta's heartwarming post after IPL heroics

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS)'s new batting sensation Shashank Singh has expressed his gratitude to the team's co-owner Preity Zinta. That came as the Bollywood actress shared a heart-warming post with Shashank and penned down a special message for him on social media.

The development came after Shashank's match-winning knock of an unbeaten 61 off 29 balls in an innings laced with four maximums and six boundaries. His innings helped PBKS chase down 200 against Gujarat Titans (GT) in their last IPL game.

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Preity Zinta explained how Shashank overpowered the demons in his head following the IPL auction drama due to identical names:

"Today seems like the perfect day to finally talk about things that were said in the past about us at the auction. A lot of people in similar situations would have lost confidence, buckled under pressure or become de-motivated ……. but not Shashank!

"He is not like a lot of people. He is truly special. Not just because of his skill as a player but because of his positive attitude & incredible spirit. He took all the comments, jokes and brick bats so sportingly & never became a victim."

She added:

"He backed himself and showed us what he is made of, and for that I applaud him. He has my admiration & my respect. I hope he can be an example to all of you when life takes a different turn & does not play according to script, for it’s not what people think of you that matters, but what You think of Yourself! So never stop believing in yourself like Shashank & I’m sure you will be Man of the match in the game of life."

Shashank Singh, who was bought by PBKS for INR 20 lakh, replied on Saturday (April 6):

"Thank you Preity Mam for always supporting and Motivating me, couldn’t ask for anything more!"

What happened in PBKS vs GT IPL 2024 clash?

Asked to bat first, Gujarat Titans put up 199/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Skipper Shubman Gill led from the front, scoring 89 runs off 48 balls in an innings laced with four sixes and six fours.

Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, Kane Williamson, and Rahul Tewatia too chipped in with 33 (19), 26 (22), and 23 (8), respectively.

Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball for Punjab, returning with figures of 2/44, while Harpreet Brar and Harshal Patel took one wicket apiece.

In response, PBKS achieved the target off the penultimate ball. Shashank Singh remained unbeaten on 61 off 29 deliveries, smashing four sixes and six fours. Prabhsimran Singh and Ashutosh Sharma also chipped in with 35 (24) and 31 (17), respectively.

Noor Ahmad emerged as the pick of the GT bowlers, finishing with figures of 2/32, while the other five bowlers returned with one wicket apiece.

Punjab will host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their next IPL game, scheduled to be played at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on April 9.