On Wednesday, the Punjab Kings, a franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), issued a clarification regarding the acquisition of the uncapped cricketer Shashank Singh during the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai.
The team management seemingly purchased Shashank Singh by mistake, leading to confusion.
However, Punjab Kings clarified that Shashank Singh was always part of their "target list," and the confusion arose from two players sharing the same name in the auction.
Shashank Singh bought for ₹20 lakh
In a statement, the franchise stated, "Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him onboard and see him contribute to our success."
Shashank Singh was acquired by Punjab Kings at his base price of ₹20 lakh amid high drama in the auction room.
Confusion over bid for Shashank Singh
The incident unfolded during the accelerated round of the mini-auction when Shashank Singh's name was called out, and Punjab Kings emerged as the sole bidders. The player was quickly sold to the franchise by auctioneer Mallika Sagar.
SunRisers Hyderabad had released the all-rounder from Chattisgarh, leading to Punjab Kings securing his services. However, there was initial uncertainty about whether it was the correct Shashank Singh.
Co-owners Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia realized their mistake and attempted to reverse the bid.
Sagar and the IPL officials in the room denied their request, asserting that once the hammer confirms a purchase, it cannot be undone.
Correct Shashank Singh was bought
As it turns out, Punjab Kings did infact secure the services of the intended Shashank Singh during the auction, rectifying the initial confusion.
"We have picked the right player. He was being scouted by us for quite some time. He is a 32-year-old player from Chhattisgarh who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the 2022 season. Reports are confusing him with a 19-year-old cricketer with the same name," a PBKS officla told PTI.
PBKS purse remaining: Rs. 4.15 crore
PBKS total player slots available: 0
PBKS total overseas player slots available: 0
PBKS players bought at IPL 2024 Auction: Harshal Patel (Rs. 11.75 crore), Chris Woakes (Rs. 4.20 crore), Ashutosh Sharma (Rs. 20 lakh), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (Rs. 20 lakh), Shashank Singh (Rs. 20 lakh), Tanay Thyagarajann (Rs. 20 lakh), Prince Choudhary (Rs. 20 lakh), Rilee Rossouw (Rs. 8 crore).
