Shashank Singh has decided to part ways with Chhattisgarh and represent Puducherry in the 2026-27 domestic season. The 34-year-old all-rounder, who plays for Punjab Kings in the IPL where he serves as vice-captain to Shreyas Iyer, was issued a no-objection certificate by the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh. Singh alleged disrespect by certain officials within the state association as a contributing factor to his departure.
Singh cited lack of clarity and support from his state team as reasons for the move. He was excluded from the 2026 Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League without proper explanation and was not informed why he wasn’t considered for the conditioning camp for state probables. In an interview with NDTV, Singh explained his perspective on the situation and his plans moving forward.
“Somewhere, I felt that I wasn’t getting enough support from my state team. That’s my perception, and I could be wrong. But that’s how I felt at the time,” Singh said.
“Instead of arguing over it, I thought it was better to move on because a cricketer’s career is not very long. I had an opportunity to move, and there was a state association that was happy to let me focus exclusively on white-ball cricket. That suited my plans perfectly, so I decided to make the switch and concentrate on white-ball cricket this season,” he added.
Singh’s recent IPL season was marked by form issues, dropped catches, and injury concerns. However, his 2024 IPL campaign was significantly stronger, when he scored 354 runs at a strike rate of 164.65. In the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Singh demonstrated his all-round capabilities by scoring 450 runs and taking 11 wickets across seven matches. Singh won the BCCI award for the best domestic white-ball all-rounder for 2023-24, recognising his contributions in limited-overs cricket.
Singh reflects on his struggles with fielding during IPL
Shashank Singh reflected on his struggles with fielding during the IPL season, particularly after dropping catches against Lucknow Super Giants. He found it difficult to regain confidence in that aspect of his game. He acknowledged that his friends still tease him about those dropped catches, but he attributed the issue to losing enjoyment in the process rather than a technical problem.
“My friends still troll me about them. But honestly, there wasn’t any technical issue. Fielding is all about enjoying the process. After I dropped those first two catches against LSG, I stopped enjoying it. Since my Under-16 and Under-19 days, coaches have always told us to enjoy fielding and not be too harsh on ourselves. But I wasn’t doing that,” Singh added.
“After the IPL, when I spoke to my coaches and some close friends who have known me since childhood, they pointed out that I wasn’t enjoying fielding anymore. I can’t guarantee that I’ll never drop another catch or that I’ll score a hundred in every match. But I enjoy batting and bowling, and I should have enjoyed fielding in the same way,” Singh explained.
Want to concentrate on white-ball cricket
For the 2026-27 season, Singh wants to concentrate on white-ball formats rather than playing across all three formats in domestic cricket. He believes focusing on one format will allow him to develop more effectively as a bowler and all-rounder. Singh aims to become a proper white-ball all-rounder capable of delivering sustained bowling spells and scoring centuries in limited-overs cricket.
“Last year, I couldn’t play much domestic cricket because I was injured. But mentally, I was very prepared and determined to bowl this year. With the Impact Player rule in place, I always knew that if we had five specialist bowlers in the XI, I could be the sixth or seventh bowling option. I understood that I would likely be called upon only when the bowling unit wasn’t doing well,” Singh concluded.
