In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction, there was a misunderstanding between the auctioneer Mallika Sagar and Punjab Kings (PBKS). During the accelerated auction phase, PBKS bid for Shashank Singh but were confused about which player they went for as there were two of the same name. The franchise asked Sagar if they could reverse the sale but the latter said that the hammer had gone down already.
Later, there were reports that PBKS did not want Shashank’s services in the first place. A day after the auction, the Punjab-based franchise released a statement to put an end to the speculations.
“Media have reported on Shashank Singh being bought erroneously by the Punjab Kings,” PBKS said in a statement. “The Kings would like to clarify that the player was always on our target list.”
“The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list.
“We are delighted to have him on board and see him contribute to our success”
Shashank was roped in for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
He made his IPL debut in the previous season for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). From 10 games, he scored 69 runs at an average of 17.25. His best was an unbeaten 25-run cameo. He scored at a strike rate of 146.81. He bowled just two overs, conceded 20 runs, and remained wicketless.
In the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023, Shashank was the highest run-scorer for Chandigarh. He was seventh on the overall list. The 32-year-old scored 450 runs from six innings at an average of 75 including two centuries and a half-century. His strike rate was an impressive 125. He also scored two consecutive 150s that caught everyone's eye.
Punjab Kings’ complete squad for IPL 2024: Shikhar Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Atharva Taide, Chris Woakes, Harpreet Bhatia, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Nathan Ellis, Prabhsimran Singh, Prince Chaudhary, Rahul Chahar, Rilee Rossouw, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Shashank Singh, Shivam Singh, Sikandar Raza, Tanay Thyagarajann, Vidwath Kaverappa, Vishwanath Pratap Singh
