Shashank Singh has been one of the biggest success stories to have come out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in recent years. Mistakenly picked up by the Punjab Kings in the auction for the 2024 IPL, with the franchise even briefly trying to offload him right after signing him up, Shashank ended up becoming the team’s asset that season, smashing 354 runs at a strike rate of 164.56 and saving them the blushes on a number of occassions with his finishing act.
The 33-year-old is yet to be serious considered for national selection but Shashank has made a prediction of being part of the Indian team that plays the 2026 T20 World Cup in February-March next year. “If you ask me about the team, then Punjab is lifting next year’s IPL for sure,” he told ESPNCricinfo. “And one more prediction I have, and that is in the upcoming [T20] World Cup in India, I’ll be playing, and I’ll be winning games for the team. I don’t know how that will happen, but I surely believe that it will happen.”
Shashank says that he doesn’t consider himself too old to be living his dream, taking the example of India’s current T20I captain himself Suryakumar Yadav, who had made his debut at the age of 30 and is now recognised by some as India’s greatest T20I batter of all time.
Surya hit Jofra [Archer] for six in his first match [innings] and now he’s the captain of the Indian team,” he says. “Then there’s Pravin Tambe. He didn’t play for India, but at the age of 41, he debuted in IPL. Can you imagine that!
The Punjab Kings emerge as one of the favourites to win the title in IPL 2025 and Shashank gave credit to that to captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. “Shreyas is at a different level altogether,” Shashank says. “He has his own aura, a different mindset altogether. Won’t talk rubbish, won’t tolerate rubbish. When he bats in the nets, he knows what he is doing. If someone asks me: who is the best captain you have played under? Hands down, Shreyas Iyer.
“And then Ricky sir, he has made the game very simple. Cricket can be a complicated sport at times. If you ask a batsman, the leg shouldn’t go across, the head shouldn’t fall, but Ricky sir has simplified the game brilliantly.
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