Recently, Shashank Singh headed the B side of the group that bore his name in the Mumbai T20 event organized by the DY Patil Group. Ayush Badoni and Dinesh Karthik were two players who trained under him. More importantly, professional player Shikhar Dhawan joined the team and was coached by Shashank.
When we fast-forward to the IPL, roles are reversed. That’s more of a role appreciation, though, according to people close to Shashank, a 32-year-old Mumbai Maidans cricketer who has seen much of combat. The coach of the DY Patil Group B team, Subramaniam Doraiswamy, says, “I’d call it role recognition.” “Shikhar has seen Shashank’s batting intently and observed it. As a result, he gave him a chance at Punjab Kings’ very first game of the season.”
Captain Shashank was not let down by him. After putting up a lackluster showing in the first three games, he produced an incredible innings on Thursday night, guiding the team to an unbelievable triumph with an undefeated 61. It was a performance that might well be remembered as the season’s turning point. The Punjab Kings won the match after nearly 15 overs, winning by a margin of three wickets. Nearly 60,000 supporters of the home team were subdued at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium by the outcome.
“Shashank entered and performed incredibly well. Shashank struck the ball with such ease and brilliance as he smacked those sixes. He began at position seven and is currently displaying his optimistic outlook. After the game, Dhawan stated, “He played so well. He is playing in the IPL after a long time.”
Punjab was looking at a certain loss at 111 for 5, behind 200. Shashank assumed control of the pursuit and startled the large crowd at the enormous arena with a barrage of boundaries and sixes. A six-off Arguably the greatest bowler of the evening, Noor Ahmed, arrived against the flow of play in the tenth over, but he quickly showed that it was no coincidence when he lofted an over off Umesh Yadav in the following over. Then, for the most important six of the innings, he hammered one off Mohit Sharma over deep mid-wicket after slog-sweeping one of the hardest bowlers to hit, Rashid Khan. In the penultimate over, he completed the feat with a delivery that took the target to seven.
Impact player Ashutosh Sharma made a vital 31 off 17 balls, but Shashank was unfazed by the challenging circumstances and proceeded to smash six fours and four sixes in his 29-ball unbeaten innings, sealing an unlikely triumph for the visitors.
Outstanding performance
Shashank, a journeyman on the home circuit who has played for Mumbai, Chhattisgarh, and Puducherry, may have had the performance of the season. Before being selected by Punjab Kings, he played for SunRisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. He began his cricket career in Mumbai, where he received instruction from renowned coach Vidya Paradkar, who had coached several notable players, such as Zaheer Khan and Ajinkya Rahane.
In addition to working for the DY Patil Group, Shashank is primarily a Mumbai cricket player. The former fast bowler for India, Abey Kuruvilla, who is currently the general manager of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is one of the people who has contributed to his career development in cricket. “Shashank is a very honest player who plays local cricket in Mumbai when he’s not representing his state, Chattisgarh. Whether it’s in an interclub or corporate tournament, he scores a lot,” Doraiswamy claims.
The way that Shashank Singh joined the Punjab team was a little dramatic. The Punjab Kings were on the point of disowning him after they believed they had purchased the wrong player at the December auction in Dubai, where he was purchased for his basic price of Rs 20 lakh. Punjab had to subsequently provide clarification because there is another cricket player in the local circuit with the same name. This caused some misunderstanding. The PBKS management may have received double confirmation on Thursday night that they had purchased the genuine Shashank Singh.
The appropriate shots at the appropriate times
Gujarat Titans director Vikram Solanki observed that Shashank performed really well under pressure and made the key plays at the right times. “What’s most impressive about the young players is their ability to handle that kind of circumstance, considering the pressure from the crowd, the scoreboard, the pressure from the surroundings, and the kind of bowling that is being played. However, it is evident that he is good at making shots. However, it was very amazing to be able to play the correct shot at the right moment.”
Shashank, who was named player of the match, said it seemed surreal. “It’s taking some time to settle in, but it feels amazing to see these things come to pass. I bat at number seven in cricket shots, but today I batted at number five (6). I don’t see the names, I just react to the ball and play my shots accordingly; they (bowlers) are the cricket legends. When he was at SRH, I wasn’t able to get many matches, but the coaching staff here has really supported me, so I felt quite secure.” Shubman Gill’s elegant 89 was overshadowed by his undefeated knock.
