Punjab Kings (PBKS) qualified for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final for the first time in 11 years. They were in touching distance of the coveted IPL trophy but fell short of the target by seven runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on June 3. Days after the defeat, Shashank Singh has opened about the missed full toss from Josh Hazlewood which he could not deposit into the stands and pull off a Rinku Singh-like run chase. Shashank revealed that he did not expect a full toss from Hazlewood but a yorker.
“Mentally, my mind was ready to get a first ball yorker from Hazelwood. So I had positioned myself but I never anticipated a full toss one, that too on my thigh pad. Now I feel, if I would have connected it, even if I got it on the handle of the bat, I would have got maximum, because the fine-leg was near. I was hoping for a wide from him but it never came. When I saw the scoreboard stating the last ball needed 12 runs, I knew it’s all over,” Shashank told the Indian Express.
In the final over, PBKS needed 29 runs to get over the line. Shashank hit three sixes and a four. He walked back to the dressing room with tears in his eyes as his unbeaten 61 off 30 balls had gone in vain. Shashank opened up about how he felt on the long walk back to the dugout.
“I’m a strong person but I couldn’t control myself when I hit that six on the fifth ball and I saw 12 runs needed off the last ball. I realised it’s all over. When I came to the dressing room, everyone came and said, why am I crying? I told them, mujhe apne aap aansoon aa raha hai,” he recalled.
Shashank also recalled people appreciating him but saying, "Bhaiyya woh full toss ball maar dete".
“People appreciated my batting wherever I have gone but all are reminding me of that one full toss miss. Mujhe bahut bura laga. The ball was on my hip, square leg was up, I just had to get that bat in which I couldn’t. From hotel to airport to ground to home, everyone had that one point bhaiyya woh ball mar dete bas,” he said.
In the final, Shashank lacked support from the other end. Nehal Wadhera got stuck, played too many dot balls. In the end, he departed for a 18-ball 15 to Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 17th over, leaving too many to chase down for Shashank on his own.
Shashank's IPL 2025 numbers
The 33-year-old scored 350 runs from 14 innings for PBKS in the season at an average of 50, including three half-centuries. His strike rate was 153.50, lower than the previous season.