Shashank Singh Exclusive: From being a mistaken buy at IPL auction to Punjab Kings' mainstay

Timesofindia.com in Chandigarh:Shashank Singh has spent his cricket career playing for different teams, often with faint praise. He moved from Madhya Pradesh to Mumbai to Chhattisgarh to get more game time and prolong his first-class career.Shashank has been a journeyman in a true sense, even getting his IPL contract due to a goof-up. There was drama during the 2024 auction, leaving many under the impression that Punjab Kings didn't want him, having mistaken him for another player. But when he got the opportunity, he seized it with both hands, finishing the IPL 2024 season with 354 runs at a strike rate of 164.65.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Punjab Kings retained him ahead of the IPL mega auction, and he has now not only become one of the mainstays of the Mohali-based franchise but also Shreyas Iyer's deputy. He has done the heavy lifting batting at number six and seven for Punjab. His numbers - 284 runs in 14 matches - may not be glittering, but his cameos, backed by a couple of half-centuries, have proven to be knockout punches to the opposition. Surprisingly, he hardly bats in the nets during the IPL."If you ever have a chance to talk to Ricky Ponting, he'll tell you that I don't bat in (the) nets at all," Shashank told Timesofindia.com. "During the IPL, I hardly batted twice or thrice in the nets. There was a time when Ricky sir told me to bat in the nets. I feel that, like in my game, I'm more of a player who likes to watch the ball and just react to it, rather than playing for hours and hours. I'm someone who overthinks at times, so I don't want to bat in the nets for hours and hours, and then once you get out, you think, 'How did I get out? Is there some technical issue in my batting?' All those sorts of things."At the start of the season, Shashank was struggling. He was doubting his abilities and was scared that, like many, he might end up becoming a one-season wonder in the IPL."Last season went well for me. But again, I have always felt that it is important to make sure that you are consistent with your seasons. Because in IPL, I have seen extremely talented players, good players, who have one good season, then they have a slump. I took some pressure as well because for me, I was desperate to have a good season again," he revealed. "I don't want to be a person whom people call a one-season wonder. I never wanted to be that player. And to be honest, when the season started, I wasn't batting at the best of my abilities, because in the practice games, I didn't score many runs. In the nets also, I couldn't bat well."It took Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting, captain Shreyas Iyer, and coaching staff Brad Haddin and James Hopes to remind Shashank of what he had done well in the previous season."Major credit goes to Ricky and Shreyas. I mean, the way they have handled me, the way they have given me the freedom to express myself, the way they have helped me out on the technical parts as well. When I was doubting myself, they made sure that I again got that self-belief. Because I am a player who feels that I am mentally strong and I can play in crunch situations. But sometimes, as a human, you doubt yourself. So I was doubting myself," he said.Ponting even gave daily homework to Shashank to battle his fear of failing. "Ricky sir told me this year to make a to-do list. Do those things. When you go to the net, make sure that all those points are being ticked. These are minute points, there's no big technical difference, but it really helped," he said.When coaxed if the price tag played a role, the swashbuckling batter said: "I never had the pressure of the price tag. I was desperate to have a good season. I wasn't thinking about the process, I was thinking about the outcome.""I mean, I get the question, 'You were worth 20 lakhs, now you are worth a certain amount, so what do you think?' So I didn't feel that, but there was a lot of desperateness."At 32, an Indian cricketer generally does not aim to represent the country. Shashank is on the wrong side of his 30s, but the confidence of doing well in the IPL has helped him dare to dream about a national call. He seeks inspiration from his former DY Patil teammate Pravin Tambe."I am a firm believer in destiny. I always feel that if I am working hard, if I am following my process, good things will happen. I am only 32. When I see Praveen Tambe, I take him as an example because of the way he has worked hard. At 41, he got his first IPL cap. At 42, he made his first-class debut. So, I mean, all those things I take into consideration. And I am a firm believer in destiny.""If things are meant to happen, they will happen. So, I think all those things matter a lot, regardless of age. I mean, if you are meant to play for the country, you will. And I am a firm believer that yes, I have everything in me to play for the country and perform for the country," said Shashank.