[Watch] Jonny Bairstow bamboozled by an absolute peach from Noor Ahmad during GT vs PBKS IPL 2024 match
Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Jonny Bairstow didn't convert yet another start in the IPL 2024 season as he was dismissed for 22 (13) by Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Noor Ahmad during their encounter in Ahmedabad on Thursday, April 4.
On the very first ball of his spell, Noor gave the ball a lot of air and deceived Bairstow in the flight. The England batter tried to defend the ball and probably thought it was a googly. However, it turned just enough the other way to beat his defense, hit his back leg before crashing into the stumps.
Jonny Bairstow was distraught and understandably so as he had got his team off to a start and had the opportunity to score big. He departed after scoring only 22 runs from 13 balls.
Here's the video of his dismissal:
While Bairstow has maintained a strike rate of 158.82 in IPL 2024, he has scored just 81 runs in four innings so far and it has hurt Punjab as he is one of their premier batters.
Shashank Singh keeps PBKS in the hunt
Punjab kept losing wickets at regular intervals despite cameos from Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh (35 off 24). However, just when it looked like the Titans would dominate the second innings, Shashank Singh has given his side a genuine chance of winning the game.
Shashank caught the hosts off-guard with his counter-attack and runs began to flow once again for PBKS. He is on the verge of a half-century and Punjab will believe that until he is at the crease, they have more than a sniff.
However, he also needs help from the other end and impact player Ashutosh Sharma would be expected to assist with the big-hitting. While Gujarat have the experience of Mohit Sharma, they may have to use the inexperienced Darshan Nalkande at the end. This game has the makings of an absolute humdinger.