Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta said that the team's hero in the thrilling three-wicket win against Gujarat Titans, Shashank Singh had taken brickbats and jokes sportingly following the IPL auction fiasco, coming out all guns blazing when it mattered.
Shashank, 32, played a fiery innings to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat against the Shubman Gill-led Titans, scoring an unbeaten 29-ball 61 as PBKS chased down the steep 200-run target with just one ball to spare in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Punjab Kings reportedly wanted to withdraw their bid for Shashank during the IPL auction in Dubai in December last year but the auctioneer did not accept it, as the hammer had come down.
The franchise later issued a clarification claiming that Shashank was always on their target list, and the confusion was due to two players with the same name being mentioned on the auction list.
"Today seems like the perfect day to finally talk about things that were said in the past about us (PBKS) at the auction. A lot of people in similar situations would have lost confidence, buckled under pressure or become de-motivated... but not Shashank!" Preity said on X.
Preity also praised the cricketer's positive attitude and the way he backed himself following the confusion last year.
"He is not like a lot of people. He is truly special. Not just because of his skill as a player but because of his positive attitude & incredible spirit. He took all the comments, jokes and brick bats so sportingly & never became a victim.
"He backed himself and showed us what he is made of, and for that I applaud him. He has my admiration & my respect. I hope he can be an example to all of you when life takes a different turn & does not play according to script, for it's not what people think of you that matters, but what You think of Yourself!
"So never stop believing in yourself like Shashank & I'm sure you will be Man of the match in the game of life."
Shashank's IPL stint began with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) when he was picked by the franchise in 2017. He then moved to Rajasthan Royals (2019-21) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2022) before Punjab Kings bought him for Rs 20 lakh.
