It’s Dhawan-Lara’s fault, Sizzling Shashank

Shashank Singh, the leading scorer for the Punjab Kings and batting wonder, may have taken many by surprise with his powerful swing, but he doesn’t find it surprising.

“I had a good white-ball domestic tournament experience before to the IPL. I was quite certain that I was capable. I believed in myself. My experience was aided by the team atmosphere. I had the backing of all the players, both international and local, including the coaches. I was certain I could do well in this IPL,” Shashank said on Sunday until mid-may.

“Shikkibhai [Shikhar Dhawan] gave me some visualization tips. I knew more precisely where I would be hitting. At the DY Patil T20 event, just before the IPL, I got to know Shikkibhai. We were teammates, so I got to know him both personally and professionally. We also spoke about my potential position in the IPL,” he said.

Brian Lara and Shikhar DhawanBrian Lara and Shikhar Dhawan

With two fifties and 263 runs at 65.75, Shashank is the leading scorer for PBKS. The 32-year-old said, “We have not justified our talent,” in reference to his PBKS season. We were capable of doing well in some games. As a professional batter in the IPL, you have to be prepared for any scenario and bat at any number. I’ve seen this before.”

When Shashank was playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad two years ago, something happened to give him more confidence. The most important thing is to know your game, he said. Two years ago, Brian Lara gave me some insight into my style of play: “This is how you bat, and this is how you should continue. You should not try to emulate anyone. Just because you are batting at No. 7 does not mean that you are a slogger; you are a proper batsman.” Lara’s appreciation for your batting gives you self-assurance.

The Bhilai native Shashank recalled his hardships in Mumbai before to relocating to Chhattisgarh in search of better prospects. He declared:

“Every Mumbai player has experienced hardship. I wanted to play red-ball cricket as well as white-ball cricket for Mumbai. It’s simply that there was an excessive amount of competition while I was in Mumbai. Everybody was doing really well. I am appreciative of the sincere individuals who have supported me whenever I have been in Mumbai. These days, the problems are helpful. I put in a lot of effort back then, and now is the time to perform.

Shashank said he would want to play in the Mumbai Premier League but is content with his current team, Chhattisgarh. “I was very happy when Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy [recently],” he said.