In an edge-of-the-seat thrilling encounter on Friday, April 4, 2024, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) managed to register a narrow win against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, in an IPL 2024 fixture. But the real hero of the night was none other than Shashank Singh, a name who had already made quite a lot of noise during the IPL auction for reasons other than cricket.

Born in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, Shashank Singh had enough in him to be identified as one of the cricketers in the domestic circuit, representing teams such as Mumbai, Chattisgarh, and Puducherry. Though, the story of reaching here was not very pretty. Even before his sparkling show against GT, Singh had an emphatic presence in IPL 2022 too, where he appeared in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team and scored 25 runs off just six balls, announcing his arrival at a brilliant strike rate of 416.66. Despite his clear talent, it was an auction mishap that turned heads towards Singh in an unexpected turn of events.

Auction Controversy

The confusion ruled the day, and amid the desperation, PBKS snapped up Singh, as they wanted to bid for another player by the same name. However, before the franchise could set the mistake right, a base price of 20 lakhs was sealed in the bid. The auctioneer, however, upheld the decision, and this now has set off a frenzy that leaves the cricket world abuzz with talks of how the “wrong player” got sold. However, Punjab Kings later were quick to clear the air and let everyone know that Shashank Singh was indeed the cricketer they intended to rope in their squad. A statement that came good in the most dramatic of fashions.

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On the field, Shashank Singh let his bat do the talking. In a match that was seen sliding out from the hands of PBKS, Singh’s innings shone through. His unbeaten 61 of 29 balls consisted of 6 fours and 4 sixes, which actually tells how well he batted and how the pressure on him didn’t get to him. It was Singh’s innings that meant the win for Punjab Kings, actually the ultimate fitting reply to whoever would have cast doubt over him being part of the team.

Shashank Singh Stats

Shashank Singh’s journey is a narrative of resilience and redemption. From a controversial pick to turning match-winner for PBKS, this completes an interesting chapter in IPL 2024. During his 58 T20s career, Singh has scored 754 runs and bagged 15 wickets along with contributions in FC and List-A games, showing he is an all-rounder.

There’s no doubt that the thrilling win by the Punjab Kings would have been celebrated, certainly within the Punjab dressing room, and it would be watched very closely by the cricketing fraternity for such men as Shashank Singh—men who have risen from a mix-up to make his spot in the history books of the IPL.