Overview

• Sharma says the Punjab Kings co-owner told broadcaster Ravi Shastri the award should be his after he removed Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle in a low‑scoring 2017 game in Bengaluru.
• The match was the 43rd of the 2017 season at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where PBKS defended 138/7 to bowl RCB out for 119.
• Axar Patel top‑scored with 38 off 17 and took two wickets, and Sharma says Axar was initially named Player of the Match.
• According to Sharma, the award was reassigned to him and he then offered it to Axar, who told him to keep it because the early wickets were decisive.
• Both outlets attribute the story to Sharma’s recollection on Crictracker and do not include corroboration from Punjab Kings, Ravi Shastri or official match documentation.