The Story of Shashank Singh

(Shashank Singh during his innings against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024)

Imagine yourself in a cricket match where no team had initially considered picking you. However, after finally getting selected, you take to the field and put up a performance that ensures your team wins. How would you describe the emotions you would feel in such a scenario? Such was the case of Shashank Singh in the Indian Premier League 2024 where he put up a match-winning performance against Gujarat Titans. But there is a twist: during the IPL 2024 auction, when Shashank Singh’s name came up, the owners of Punjab Kings got the player’s number mixed up, leading them to pick the wrong player. However, the owners later clarified the issue and hence the matter was settled between the two parties.

Early life and career of Shashank Singh

Son of IPS officer Shailesh Singh, Shashank Singh was born in a family where everyone followed the path of studies. But he had a different career choice and hence he started following his heart which led him to make his debut for the Chhattisgarh team in the 2015-16 Vijay Hazare Trophy and that started a journey full of ups and downs for him. After announcing himself on the national stage, he finally got a chance to showcase his skills in the Indian Premier League when Delhi Capitals included him in the squad for the 2017 season of IPL for just 10 lakhs.

However, he failed to make his debut for the team that season and was released by the team. In 2018, he was sold to Rajasthan Royals but was again benched throughout the season for the team. But in the meantime, he made his Ranji Trophy debut for the Chhattisgarh team. For three consecutive seasons, he was unsold in IPL and was not part of any team and then in 2022, Sunrisers Hyderabad finally included him in the squad.

(Shashank Singh to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022)

For Sunrisers Hyderabad, his first match was against Gujarat Titans where he finished the innings well for the team. In Lockie Ferguson’s last over, he hit 3 consecutive sixes and gave the team an incredible total on the board. It was the first time that fans saw him live but he failed to live up to the expectations in the upcoming matches. In the 10 matches played that year, Shashank Singh scored 69 runs at a strike rate of 146.81. After being released by Sunrisers Hyderabad at the end of the 2023 season, Punjab Kings included him in the squad for the 2024 season.

How Shashank Singh Joined Punjab Kings Team

During the IPL 2024 auction, all the teams had their shopping lists with them and the Punjab Kings team had Shashank Singh’s name on their list. During the fast-track round, Shashank’s name appeared on the screen and caught the attention of the Punjab Kings owners on which they bid. However, when the auctioneer, Mallika Sagar, brought down the hammer, the Punjab Kings owner intervened and asked whether it was player 236 or 237 as both had the same name, Shashank Singh, and the same base price of INR 20 lakhs.

Coming to this point, Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta were engaged in discussions with the officials present here and it led to a lot of confusion. However, after a few minutes of discussions, it was finally revealed that Punjab Kings had got the right Shashank Singh and he was still on their list. The other player with the same name was a 19-year-old who is yet to play his first Indian Premier League match. Even in a message on X, the owners of Punjab Kings clarified the matter and said:

Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh has always been on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players with the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him on board and see him contribute to our success. Two players with similar names on the IPL list created confusion. I am delighted to inform you that the right Shashank Singh has been signed. He has performed remarkably well and we are ready to unleash his talent,

https://x.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1737449448048042006

As for Punjab Kings’ tweet, even player Shashank Singh made it clear that the owners had contacted him and he was the only one the team needed. Quoting the message from Punjab Kings’ official handle, he said, “Everything is fine… Thanks for trusting me!!!”

The match that made Shashank Singh famous

With all the drama of the auction, Shashank Singh was the target of many trolls and memes. However, he never took them seriously and started training positively for his stint with Punjab Kings and eagerly waited for his chance in the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League. In the 17th match of the season, Punjab Kings were playing against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

(Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma during their 43-run partnership)

Batting first, Gujarat Titans posted a total of 199 runs with the loss of 4 wickets and it was Shubman Gill who scored 89 runs in just 48 balls of the innings. Kagiso Rabada proved to be the key wicket-taker as he got 2 scalps in the 4 overs bowled. It seemed to be a tough target for Punjab Kings as with the bigger boundaries and the pitch a bit slow, the batsmen had to play their best game in the run chase.

GT vs PBKS, 17th match at Ahmedabad, IPL, April 04, 2024
Titans of Gujarat	Sunrise in Hyderabad
199/4 (20.0 overs)	200/7 (19.5 overs)
Shubman Gill 89* (48)	Shashank Singh 61* (29)
Kagiso Rabada 2/44 (4 overs)	Noor Ahmad 2/32 (4 overs)
Punjab Kings won by 3 wickets

Coming to bat for Punjab Kings, they lost Shikhar Dhawan early and after that, quick wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh further diminished their chances in the match. With 111-5 in 12.2 overs, Punjab Kings were almost out of the race and that’s when Shashank Singh started batting well with Jitesh Sharma on the crease. However, after hitting two consecutive sixes against Rashid Khan, Jitesh was caught off guard and that brought Ashutosh Sharma on the crease.

In the last 3 overs, Punjab Kings needed 41 runs and Ashutosh managed to get 16 runs by hitting 3 fours off Azmatullah Omarzai. The 19th over was bowled by Mohit Sharma and both the batsmen got 18 runs as despite the slower balls, Shashank Singh managed to get a six off the last ball of the over. With just 7 runs needed in the last over, the ball was in Punjab Kings’ court but a first-ball wicket of Ashutosh Sharma put Gujarat Titans back in the game.

(Shashank Singh celebrates after winning the match against Gujarat Titans)

However, Shashank Singh kept his cool and with 5 required off 3 balls, he got a boundary which ensured that Punjab would not lose now. Then a single from the next leg gave Punjab Kings a victory by 3 wickets and one ball remaining. Shashank Singh finished with 61 runs in just 29 balls and was declared Man of the Match for his sublime innings.