CHENNAI: 'Mental' is the word Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh uses to explain his role in the team. He usually bats at number six or seven and while doing so he not only has to deal with form bowlers but also score quickly. Given his role, Singh had quite a productive season last year where he scored 350 runs, batting down the order, at a strike rate of 153.51.
If going unsold at the 2022 auction was a heartbreak for the Chhattisgarh all-rounder, he suffered a bigger one in 2025 when he couldn't win his team the final and the maiden trophy. That was Punjab's first final after 11 years. Despite scoring an unbeaten 61 off just 30 balls, his team fell short by six runs. In the final over of the match, Singh couldn't score off the first two balls bowled by Josh Hazlewood. With PBKS needing 28 runs off the last four balls, Shashank went on to slam three sixes and a four, but it was too little too late.
Post the final, the 34-year-old missed out on a lot of domestic cricket for his state team due to shoulder and finger injuries. Ahead of this season, Singh is raring to go and said that he still feels 'the butterflies' ahead of every game. "Every match is a new one. You remember the good things from the past. But there's a little pressure and when the first match starts, the nerves will calm down," he said during a JioStar interaction on Friday.
Last season, Shashank mostly delivered in high-pressure situations. While skill is crucial in sending the ball flying high, Shashank — for his role as a finisher — stresses the importance of being mentally prepared. “Whatever skill I have, I keep upgrading it because the bowlers plan against you. But it's more about the mental thing, how you handle the pressure, how you stay calm," he said.
Singh's role with the team is of a finisher and it demands acceptance — accepting the fact that he may not do well in all matches. “My role has more to do with being mentally prepared than being equipped with skills. So, I try to stay as calm as possible. The most important part in my role is acceptance. Because sometimes out of 10 matches, I'll only be able to do well in two or three matches. If you see, I won't be able to win every match. But again, the acceptance of (not doing well) in seven matches is important. I'll accept it and move ahead. That is what I am working on right now,” he explained.
He further goes on to explain how his role is '95 per cent mental.' "(At the) end of the day, you have faced those (Yorkers and bouncers) kind of balls before. If you are playing at the IPL, you must have struggled a lot to come to play because you know the talent India has in cricket. But it is all about how you handle the expectations and pressure, that is more important," he said
The all-rounder was bought for `20 lakh following a misunderstanding with another player of the same name in the 2023 mini-auction. Singh went on to prove his doubters wrong, scoring 354 runs at a strike rate of 164.65 in the 2024 season. Then, he was retained ahead of the 2025 mega auction.
Speaking on how he has evolved as a finisher in the last couple of years, he said "Now it's been 2-3 years (since) I'm in the circuit. I think I have started handling this pressure better. I'm not saying that I'm a professional at it, but I've started handling the pressure better."
Watch Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans at 7:30PM, March 31, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network