Shashank Singh has emerged as a standout performer in the Indian Premier League (IPL), proving his worth with explosive batting displays. In IPL 2025, he delivered a match-defining knock against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday in Ahmedabad.
Shashank smashed an unbeaten 44 off just 16 balls, peppering the boundary with six fours and two sixes. His whirlwind innings powered Punjab Kings to a massive total of 243/5, showcasing his ability to finish the innings with flair.
This was not a one-off. His IPL record remains impeccable with 467 runs across 25 matches innings at an of average of 38.92 and and a strike-rate of 167.99.
ADVERTISEMENT
Loading...
Rewind to IPL 2024, Shashank’s brilliance was already turning heads. It was the first time when the world witnessed his magic. Playing for Punjab Kings, he became a chase master, amassing 354 runs in 14 innings at an average of 44.25 and a strike rate of 164.65. His coming of an age performance came against GT again, where he blasted an unbeaten 61 off 29 balls, steering his team to victory from a precarious position.
Shashank Singh's Father Calls Out Mumbai Lobby
Behind these dazzling stats lies a story of perseverance, heartbreak, and quiet resolve. Shashank’s father, Sailesh Singh, reflected on his son’s journey with a mix of pride and regret as he thinks he bloomed late because of the Mumbai lobby.
Sailesh is an IPS officer. Shashank was born in Bhilai. At the time Bhilai was a part of Madhya Pradesh. Shashank played for Madhya Pradesh at the U-15 and U-17 level. As his father got transferred to the office of Additional Directorate General of Foreign Trade at the Marine Lines, Shashank also had to move to Mumbai.
"It does feel good to see his hard work finally paying off, but all of this could have happened many years ago. That’s the only regret I have. He has always been a good player; it is not that Shashank magically transformed into a great batter last night,” Sailesh said as quoted to The Quint.
He recalled Shashank’s early promise in Mumbai, where he once smashed a triple century in a local match. However, he further alleged that he did not got many opportunities because he was not originally from Mumbai.
"I thought his future was secure, but little did I know how the ‘Mumbai Lobby’ works. Despite consistently scoring runs, he never got enough chances in the Mumbai team. The only reason for that was Shashank came from Chhattisgarh; he was not a localite."
"Sailesh draws a stark parallel to the world beyond cricket. “I believe in Gresham’s law—bad currency drives out good currency from the market. I have been in the force for many years; I have seen a lot of things. To be successful, you need to know the twisted ways of the world. That’s the harsh reality. Can a plain and simple person become an influential politician? It is not possible. Similarly, there is politics in cricket, which I came to realize, but Shashank was just too plain and simple to tackle it. He avoided any sort of controversies. He suffered alone, he cried alone, but never raised his voice," he concluded.
ADVERTISEMENT
Loading...
Shashank Singh Denies His Father's Claims
Shashank himself opened up about his struggles and growth. He denied his father's claims, stating that he did not got to play for Mumbai much due to fierce competition.
"I played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai. I had a good four years there. I could not get into the red-ball team, but that was due to the competition. Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Siddhesh Lad—everyone was scoring runs. Mumbai was winning," Shashank said.
After listening to the advice of his father and mentor Abey Kuruvilla, Shashank moved back to Chattisgarh at the age of 27.
"At one stage, you do realise that you want to play first-class cricket too, and not just white-ball cricket. That was when I decided to return to my home state, Chhattisgarh. It was a difficult phase, I won’t say that it wasn’t. It was more difficult emotionally than anything else. But at the end of the day, everything went well."
Shashank's looked back at his time in Mumbai and saw it as a turning point in his career.
"I got self-belief from my Mumbai stint because previously when I played for Madhya Pradesh, I was the best player there. MP cricket was not as strong back then as it is now. But in Mumbai, you have got to have belief in yourself because the competition is so high. Mumbai gave me a reality check of where I stand. When I saw the likes of Surya and Siddhesh batting, I realized I was nowhere near their level. It was an eye-opener," Shashank concluded.
For Latest IPL 2025 Updates
