The Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings IPL 2024 match is definitely a thrilling match. Most of Punjab Kings’ top-order batting after Shubman Gill’s 89* to take Gujarat Titans to 199/4 in 20 overs Hands are stuck in low scores. But one man had different ideas – Shashank Singh. The domestic cricket star smashed 61* off 29 balls (4×6, 6×4) to lead his team to a memorable victory in the last match against GT. In a team that includes stars like Shikhar Dhawan and Sam Curran, Shashank Singh takes on the job for PBKS.

However, Shashank Singh’s auction selection has sparked a lot of controversy. Kings XI Punjab co-owners Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia looked confused after winning the bid for uncapped Indian player Shashank Singh in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. It looked like the IPL team was not planning to buy the player, but the gavel has fallen. IPL 2024 auctioneer Mallika Sagar also looked a little surprised when she saw the PBKS management going through the player auction list. However, PBKS decided to go ahead with the purchase and even welcomed Shashank Singh to their team via a post on X.

Kings XI Punjab clarified that acquiring Shashank Singh has always been in their plans.

“Kings XI Punjab would like to clarify that Shashank Singh has been on our target list. The reason for the confusion is that there are two players with the same name on the list. We are delighted to have him on board and to see his contribution to our success contribution,” Kings wrote in an article on X.

Two players with similar names on the IPL list have created confusion. I am happy to say that the right Shashank Singh has come on board. He’s already delivered some noteworthy performances, and we’re ready to unleash his talents.

——Satish Menon
CEO, Kings XI Punjab.

— Kings XI Punjab (@PunjabKingsIPL) December 20, 2023

Shashank Singh grew up during the accelerated phase of the auction, with PBKS and other teams looking to buy some uncapped Indian players at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

When Shashank’s name was mentioned, Preeti Zeta raised her paddle after discussing the player with her team. With no other franchises bidding on him, the player was quickly sold and the hammer came down.

Shashank Singh played 58 T20 games domestically and scored 754 runs with a strike rate of 137.34. The 32-year-old batting all-rounder plays for the Chhattisgarh national team. He is a veteran in the IPL. He was previously linked with three other IPL teams – SunRisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils (previously) and Rajasthan Royals.