Shashank Singh said The journey from the verge of leaving cricket to reaching IPL is challenging

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New Delhi . Shashank Singh has been a part of IPL since 2017. This player is first associated with Delhi Daredevils (now DC), then with Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and now with Punjab Kings. But he did not get a chance to play in many matches during this period. However, when he got his chance this season, the 32-year-old all-rounder won everyone’s hearts.

The surprising thing is that a few years ago, when things were not going well and he was facing ups and downs in his career, he was thinking of quitting cricket. But at that time his family supported him and supported him in his struggles. His family and close people motivated him to continue playing.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Shashank talked about his struggling journey and the role of his father who wanted to see him in the Indian jersey.

Shashank said that my father is an IPS, my sister is a mechanical engineer and my mother has obtained a doctorate degree in history. It was my father’s dream to play cricket and represent India. Initially, playing cricket was not even my dream, it was my father’s dream.

He used to bowl to me and rented grounds for me to practice. A year or two ago, I thought of quitting cricket and I thought of doing some business. But my family supported me a lot and urged me to keep playing.

There have been ups and downs in my journey, which happens in the life of every professional cricketer. I did not get a chance in the first 2 to 3 franchises, then when I got a chance in SRH, the batting there was not good. But getting a chance in IPL is in itself a big opportunity for any domestic player. When I came to Punjab Kings, the management was very welcoming. Our practice matches were good and I performed well, so I got a chance here. When you are in a good field, you enter the match with the same confidence.

The all-rounder further said that the domestic season had also gone very well and I brought the same confidence here. If you talk about the Gujarat Titans match, I would say that I got a chance to bat at No. 6 when there were 8-9 overs left. So, I saw it as an opportunity and thought how to grab it with both hands.

At that time winning the match was not in my mind, the only thing going on in my mind was how to take the match deeper. Right now, my journey has been full of ups and downs but I always learn something.

On 4 April, Shashank scored unbeaten 61 runs in just 29 balls against Gujarat Titans and played an important role in the victory of his team Punjab Kings.

Last year, he became the first Indian List A cricketer to score 150 and take five wickets against Manipur during the 2023–24 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In December 2023, he was bought by the Punjab Kings team for Rs 20 lakh for the 2024 IPL.

–IANS

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