A couple of tight overs from Gujarat Titans and Shikhar Dhawan’s struggle in the middle overs left the 2022 IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings in balance. Despite Dhawan’s half-century score and the rebuilding act alongside Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Punjab were left with 27 to win in the final 30 balls, but it was still their match to lose. And then, out of nowhere, Liam Livingstone left everyone dumbfounded with a monstrous hit. Even the bowler was spotted smiling at the big hit. (Follow IPL 2022 full coverage)
“I have seen Chris Gayle do that often, but this was something different,” exclaimed Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble after the game. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen, who was at the commentary box during the strike, hailed it as the “biggest six he has ever seen” and reiterated the same after the match as well on Star Sports.
Mohammed Shami was brought in the 16th over to add to Punjab’s woes, but Livingstone had other plans. Against the very first ball of the over, the one angling in and on length, Livingstone cleared the front leg to swing his bat with all his might and muscled it sky high over deep square leg for a six. And it wasn’t any normal six. It went for a 117 metres, the biggest in this season, and it almost seemed it cleared the roof.
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Such big was the strike that even Shami was left astounded as was seen smiling at his teammate, while PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal jumped from his seat and was left completed dumbstruck.
It was also seen that Rashid Khan, Gujarat Titans bowler, had later walked up to Liam Livingstone to check his bat.
Livingstone had then entered into a beast mode as he smashed the next two deliveries for maximums as well – against the full toss delivery on leg, Livingstone dispatched it over mid-wicket for a six and against the shorter one that followed, he got the thick outside edge of the bat that sent the ball high over the wicketkeeper’s head for a six. Livingstone also hit two boundaries in the next three balls – one over square leg and the other over third man as Punjab finished off the chase in the 16th over itself to win by 8 wickets and snap Gujarat’s winning streak.
“Swinging hard enough. I didn’t think I was going to bat at one point, nice to go out and hit a few out the middle. I thought Shikhar played beautifully to set it up, and Bhanu with that partnership. It was a big win for us and we needed it, we have played some bad cricket in the last couple of games and it is nice to turn it around. I went up to Mayank and said I fancy going in before you and he said you go in if Bhanu gets out and I go in if Shikhar gets out. We know our roles and also if Mayank is there we have more stability. It is all about learning, it is hard to go in and play the way we wanted to as a new team. We played a bit smarter today and you have to play like that on such pitches,” Livingstone said after the match.
