New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Shiva Singh wreaked havoc in Noida Kings’ must-win clash against Meerut Mavericks in the UPT20 League with a sensational hat-trick that powered his side into the UPT20 League playoffs in a rain-shortened game.

Coming into their final league stage match of the fourth season of the UPT20 League on Sunday, Noida needed a win to qualify for the playoffs and were up against an unbeaten Meerut side that exuded confidence left, right and centre. The fixture was truncated to a five-over shoot-off due to rain, and Noida had a task on their hands as Meerut batted first.

Left-arm finger spinner Shiva, son of former Ranji Trophy player Ajit Singh, tilted the scales in his side’s favour heavily as he took a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul that restricted the unbeaten side to 33/7.

Speaking on his performance, Shiva revealed how a phone call from his father gave him the inspiration to put up a stellar performance as Noida later chased down the target in 3.3 overs and booked their place in the playoffs.

“Actually, I hadn’t spoken to my dad for the first nine matches,” Shiva revealed after the game. “Today, he called me up and said, ‘It’s the last league game, just play the way you always do. It’s on you now; you are the main player of the team. Just perform the way you do in local matches.’ That really helped me. Mentally, I was taking a lot of pressure before this, but hopefully, it turned out to be a great day.”

With a T20 game truncated, the bowlers often find themselves being thrashed. However, the spinner revealed he had a simple plan despite the game being a five-over-per-side contest.

“The planning is quite simple,” Shiva explained when asked about his approach to the shortened game. “Since it’s a short match, you have to look at the batsman, the wicket, and the conditions, and bowl accordingly. You have to think a bit differently from your usual big-match plans. You have to be a bit smarter. My only plan was not to concede boundaries.”

He is an U19 World Cup winner from 2018, the batch that included the likes of captain Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh. The latter two have now been regular on the international circuit, while Gill is India’s captain in Tests and ODIs.

However, Shiva is not looking at drawing comparisons with his U19 World Cup batchmates. “If you want to keep playing cricket, you have to learn something new every single day,” he reflected. “You need to have that mindset to learn; only then can you move forward. I don’t really look at where my batchmates are right now. I just try to focus on balancing my weaknesses and positives so I can perform well in the match.”

He was part of Kashi Rudras in the first three years and helped them win two titles. Now he is with Noida Kings, who are being led by Chennai Super Kings Rs 14.2 crore signee Prashant Veer.

Shiva heaped praise on Prashant, noting his consistent performances for the team. “Prashant has played the IPL, so I would say he brings a lot of experience,” Shiva noted, praising his skipper. “This is his fourth year, and he has been doing great in all four seasons. Earlier, he was alone in Noida, playing innings that won matches single-handedly. He’s a very good leader and a great team man. He always steps up in tough situations. It shows character—coming from the IPL and dominating here. He has a really good attitude towards cricket.”

Noida have now become the third team to book their place in the playoffs after Meerut and Lucknow Falcons. They will now look for their maiden title.

–IANS

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