The player hasn't had many opportunities to play in the IPL but ensures he does his best every time he walks out to bat
Punjab Kings' Shashank Singh plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on March 30, 2024.
Image: Arun Sankar / AFP
“When I go to bat, I have to believe I am the best,” Shashank Singh said after his match-winning performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 4 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Only a few have self-belief as strong as Singh’s. It needed a character like him to overcome a blunder that Punjab Kings made in the 2024 IPL Auction. They raised the paddle to buy Shashank Singh but once the auctioneer’s hammer came down, they indicated they had bought the wrong player. There was another player with the same name, hence the confusion.
Punjab Kings later issued a clarification saying they always intended to buy the Shashank they got and it wasn’t a mistake. But many believe it was just damage control. Whatever the reason, the 32-year-old must have felt devastated that day since Punjab Kings refusing to take him at the auction was trending on social media.
But the Madhya Pradesh-born cricketer is a tough character. Despite having been around for a long time, he has rarely got any opportunities to play in the IPL. However, he is still confident and ensures he does his best every time he walks out to bat.
On Thursday, Punjab Kings were in deep trouble when Singh came to the crease. They had lost four wickets on 70 runs in 8.4 overs while chasing a target of 200 runs. There was not much batting left for them while Gujarat had a lot of overs pending from their best bowlers. It was an uphill task to even come closer to the target. The match seemed to be almost over for Punjab.