On April 5, Punjab’s’mistake buy’ proved to be a fortunate break when he defeated Gujarat Titans.
When Shashank Singh was signed by Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the 2024 IPL mini-auction in December of last year, at a base price of INR 20 lakh, quite a commotion was caused. The player’s identification seemed to be a source of misunderstanding for PBKS, who signed the “wrong” Shashank Singh shortly after the contract was confirmed. The auctioneer Mallika Sagar was contacted by the owners of PBKS, Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia, in an attempt to reverse it, but she stated that the hammer had already dropped, making it impossible to do so. The franchise eventually said that they had made the correct choice in acquisition.
On April 5, Punjab’s’mistake purchase’ proved to be a fortunate break when he defeated Gujarat Titans (GT). The 32-year-old batted at number six and amassed an undefeated 61 off only 29 deliveries as he chased a massive 200-run goal. Notably, he was named Player of the Match for his exceptional effort.
Recalling the controversies surrounding the auction, Preity Zinta showered admiration on Shashank for his optimistic demeanour in the face of a difficult circumstance in which many would have given in to peer pressure. The 32-year-old batter was also praised by the Bollywood legend for taking all of the jokes and remarks in stride and not allowing them get to him. She continued by saying that Shashank is an inspiration to many people and that he will win the game of life.
See also: IPL 2024 Shashank Singh is who? All the information you want about the Punjab Kings star
“It feels like the ideal time to finally discuss things that people have said about us at the auction in the past. Many others in comparable circumstances might have given up, crumbled under stress, or lost motivation, but not Shashank! He is not like most others. He is quite unique. Not only because of his talent as a player, but also because of his amazing personality and upbeat outlook. With such grace, he endured all the taunts, jokes, and brickbats and never gave in.
He has my respect and admiration since he stood by himself and shown to us what he is capable of. I hope he may serve as an inspiration to all of you when life deviates from your plan and things don’t go as planned. After all, what counts is how you view yourself, not what other people think of you! Zinta posted on X, “Therefore, never lose faith in yourself like Shashank did, and I’m confident you’ll be the star of the show in life. @shashank2191 #Respect #Manofthematch #TrueGrit #TataIPL #GTvsPBKS #Saddapunjab #PunjabKings #PBKS #ting.”
View the X post from Preity Zinta:
Today seems like the perfect day to finally talk about things that were said in the past about us at the auction. A lot of people in similar situations would have lost confidence, buckled under pressure or become de-motivated ……. but not Shashank ! He is not like a lot of… pic.twitter.com/OAPfLFKwxq
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) April 5, 2024
As PBKS defeats Gujarat Titans by three wickets, Shashank shines.
With the bat, GT amassed a challenging goal of 200 runs, thanks in large part to skipper Shubman Gill’s outstanding 89* off 48 balls, which included four maximums and six boundaries. Rahul Tewatia provided an undefeated 23* to the total, while Sai Sudharsan chipped in with 33 runs. Kagiso Rabada, who finished with stats of 2/44, was Punjab’s preferred bowler.
Also read: Following a game-winning strike against GT, Shashank Singh shares MS Dhoni’s wisdom
In response, PBKS lost two wickets in the powerplay, suffering early losses. But Shashank Singh turned out to be Punjab’s salvation, joining Ashutosh Sharma for a vital 43 runs for the seventh wicket. The 32-year-old hit 61 off just 29 deliveries in the second innings, staying undefeated. With one ball remaining, his outstanding performance helped PBKS to an exciting three-wicket victory.
