It took less than 15 overs for Punjab to chase down Karnataka’s target of 126 in what turned out to be an extremely one-sided affair between two powerhouses of the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur. At the center of Punjab’s chase was none other than swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh, who registered his highest ever T20 score in the game. The win puts Punjab top of their group in the competition, with four points after two games. 

The Kings XI Punjab player scored a blistering 89 not out of just 52 balls, studding his innings with nine fours and five sixes. Prabhsimran made light work of the star-studded Karnataka bowling line-up of Prasidh Krishna, Krishnappa Gowtham and Abhimanyu Mithun, playing his natural, attacking brand of cricket to great effect. The 20-year-old made the most of the pace of Mithun and Ronit More, as both those Karnataka players accrued a run rate in excess of 10. 

Chasing a meagre target of 126, Prabhsimran along with his opening partner Abhishek Sharma put on a partnership of 93 for the first wicket, getting those runs in quick time. The duo were scoring nearly at ten an over, with the Kings XI Punjab man doing most of the aggression. Prabhsimran smashed five sixes in his innings of 89, building on from his previous game in which he scored a brisk 43. 

This happens to be the highest score in T20 cricket for the diminutive wicketkeeper-batsman, beating his previous best of 57 not out. 

Brace for Arshdeep Singh

Earlier in the game, some disciplined bowling from the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Harpreet Brar ensured that Karnataka managed to score only a tad above 120. Pavan Deshpande top scored for the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champions, with the likes of Karun Nair and Krishnappa Gowtham getting 13 runs apiece. For Punjab, Arshdeep Singh was amongst the wickets, accounting for Devdutt Padikkal and KL Shrijith. 

A splendid all-round performance led by Prabhsimran Singh’s 89 now sees Punjab top their group in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with four points after two games, coupled with a healthy net run rate.