For five matches Shashank Singh had been waiting for his turn to bat in IPL 2022 as the Sunrisers Hyderabad top order had completed their run-chases with ease. In his 6th match, against Gujarat Titans, he finally got his opportunity – and made sure to grab this chance, and the headlines with a spectacular 6-ball 25!
On a flat Wankhede pitch, SRH needed a big total but they seemed to be on course of a par one with 161/5 with two overs to go. On his first ball in the IPL, Shashank Singh got off the mark with a sweet lofted cover drive boundary.
Then he showed his muscle, clattering three consecutive sixes to the fast Gujarat bowler, Lockie Ferguson on the last three-ball of the innings, taking the team total to 195. And not just muscle, he also showed his smarts when he lapped a 147 KPH low full toss over fine leg.
Shashank Singh initiated this assault on the Kiwi speedster with an attractive pull shot, picking up the length early and depositing it over deep square, and after the lap six, he completed the over with another maximum, over long-off, which although he didn’t get off the middle of his bat, but had enough power to clear the diving fielder.
So who is this Shashank Singh who has got everyone talking about him in space of just three balls?
Shashank Singh, who is a product of the league cricket system in Mumbai, is a ferocious batter and an off-spinner. He was at Delhi Capitals in 2017 and then spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Rajasthan Royals before SRH bought him in the 2022 mega-auction for 20 lakh.
Born on 21 November 1991 Shashank started his domestic journey in 2015 for Mumbai before moving to Chhattisgarh. He made his T20 and List-A debut for Mumbai in 2015 and his first-class debut for Chhattisgarh in 2019.
In 9 first-class games, Shashank Singh averages 43 and has struck a solitary hundred and three fifties. He averages 29 in List-A cricket at a strike rate of 99 while in T20s, he has an average of 20 with a strike rate of 142.
Shashank Singh has now joined the list of players who have impressive in their debut IPL season. At the age of 30, his hard yards over the years are now finally getting noticed.
