After blasting 354 runs at 164.65 last year, Shashank Singh knew there was a possibility of retention, but his past experiences didn’t allow him to relax.
Diwali knocked on Shashank Singh’s door a few days before its scheduled arrival last year. Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon and general manager Ashish Tuli came as messengers of good fortune when preparations for the festival of lights were in full swing. Shashank was informed that he was one of the two cricketers – Prabhsimran Singh was the other one – PBKS were retaining for the next cycle of IPL. A WhatsApp text from newly-appointed head coach Ricky Ponting followed. Shashank’s life, already on a fast track since his exploits in IPL 2024, took another dramatic turn for the good.
“It was a big deal for me,” Shashank told Hindustan Times with a boy-like smile. “One call came in the evening. I don’t remember the exact day. It was two-three days before Diwali. They said, ‘we are finalising you (as a retention) and we will send a form, sign it by tomorrow.’ That’s it! The form came next day at around 11 pm. I filled the form and it was done. It was very hassle-free. There was no no bargain, no mention of amount, everything happened smoothly,” said Shashank, who was PBKS’ first retention for ₹5.5 crore.
After blasting 354 runs at a strike rate of 164.65 last year, Shashank knew there was a possibility of retention, but his past experiences didn’t allow him to relax.
“For so many years, since I have been playing cricket, I have seen a lot of ups and downs in auctions. You are never sure whether you will get a team or not. Before the retentions, I saw contrasting reports about my chances at PBKS. I naturally got worried but when the call finally came, I was so relieved.”
Shashank had every reason to feel relieved. He and his family had seen it all in the last few years. Rejection was a norm in the auctions. Even when selected, he rarely got to play. It took him rounds in three different teams to make his IPL debut in 2022 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He smoked a hat-trick of sixes off Lockie Fergusson, but a lack of opportunities and a few failures meant he was again left in the wilderness at next year’s auction.
Shashank still remembers the grim faces of his parents and sister. “When you play cricket, your family also plays cricket with you. Their support is important. Before the auctions every year, my mom, dad, and sister used to be very tense. That pressure was not there this time. The biggest relief for me was seeing them enjoying the auction for the first time.”
Shashank’s return to IPL was no less than an event. PBKS raised the paddle for the hard-hitting all-rounder, but as soon as the hammer went down, they tried desperately to convince the auctioneer to redo the bidding as they didn’t want the player. Later, the franchise released a statement claiming that it was a case of mistaken identity because of the presence of another player of the same name in the auction list.
There was, however, no confusion whatsoever when the tournament began. With knocks of 61* off 29 against Gujarat Titans, 46* off 25 against SRH, and 68* off 28 against Kolkata Knight Riders – the last one in a record T20 run chase, Shashank stamped his authority as a big-hitting finisher.
“The amount of trust this franchisee has shown was a big thing for me. Imagine an IPL team retaining just two uncapped players, and you’re one of them,” the pride and excitement in Shashank’s voice were unmissable.
‘Shashank match jeeta ke aayega’
There was another thing hard to miss: his immense self-belief, which can, at times, be frowned upon as borderline overconfidence, but then again, which superstar made it big without a touch of audacity?
“Shashank match jeeta ke ayega,” in between all the repenting and looking ahead to the future during the conversation, you can’t help but get swept into the idea of Shashank driving his team home. He has something in him. Years of struggle had given way to nerves of steal. His dream of making it big saw him struggle through two different states before returning to where he was born – Chhattisgarh.
Shashank Singh(PBKS)
Born in Bhilai, Shashank’s first tryst with serious cricket was in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. His move to Mumbai at the age of 16 brought him close to reality. Sharing the dressing room with Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur and Suryakumar Yadav in age-group cricket gave him a clear message: level up. After consulting with mentor Abey Kuruvilla, he moved back to Chhattisgarh.
Some days were tough, and nights tougher, but Shashank never doubted his abilities. He was stuck in a loop of playing first-class cricket, going for IPL trials, and waiting to be picked in the auction before hitting the jackpot in 2024. He is well aware that the upcoming season will be even tougher. Teams now know what Shashank brings to the table. His franchise expects him to win matches.
“I won’t call it pressure but added responsibility. Every player deserves this added responsibility at some point in his career. When Shashank is batting, there should be relief that he’ll finish it,” he said.
Shashank’s batting position doesn’t always allow him to be the top scorer, but he doesn’t even aim to be. His message to the PBKS management is clear: “You’ve trusted me, now I’ll give my all to ensure I win some games.”
“Last year I won one or two matches so, this year, I have to make sure, that I can three or four. That figure should increase. I’m looking at it as a good chance. This is an opportunity for me to repay the trust.”
‘I’m no Mitchell Starc or Pat Cummins but I can win games with the ball’
While all the expectations were from his batting, Shashank, in Harsha Bhogle’s words, “just turned up and bowled” in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad and got the wicket of a high-flying Abhishek Sharma off his first ball. Due to the Impact Player rule, this aspect of Shashank has yet to dazzle the fans, but in domestic cricket, he plays as a proper all-rounder.
He was Chhattisgarh’s best bowler in a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 match last year against Vidarbha, picking three wickets in his four overs in a high-scoring match.
“I have worked a lot on bowling because my two overs can change the entire team’s dynamics. I know my limitations, and I’m aware of my strengths what are my strengths. I never say I’m a Mitchell Starc or Pat Cummins, but if I bowl my 18 balls in the right areas, I can win matches,” he said before thumping his chest to make a promise: “When I sit for an interview with you next time during the IPL or after that, you’ll definitely talk about my bowling more.”
Promises are never too far when Shashank has the stage, and head coach Ponting and new captain Shreyas Iyer have given him the freedom. “I have spoken to Ricky. He has seen me bowl. He wants to use me more as a bowler at some point. He has been coaching for the last 10 years and has so much experience. He wants me to iron out the mistakes I made last year. Has shared his insights on how to tackle certain match situations,” Shashank added.
Regarding reunion with Shreyas, Shashank says it will only strengthen their bond and give him more freedom to express. “Shreyas has not changed one bit in all these years. Even after all the things that he has achieved for India in all three formats, he still approaches life the same way. It is a great thing to have someone like him as our captain. He has played all around the globe, scored runs, has won the IPL. So he knows what it takes to take a team all the way. He has spoken to me about my role and how I can contribute more.”
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