Amid conflicting reports, Punjab Kings say they have picked right player during IPL auction
New Delhi, Dec 20: Punjab Kings on Wednesday issued a clarification that they had picked the right cricketer during the IPL auction in Dubai, contrary to reports that they had bid for a 'wrong' player because of confusion in the name.
Shashank Singh was bought during the later part of the auction on Tuesday with franchises looking to add a few uncapped Indian players in the base price range of Rs 20 lakh.
When the auctioneer announced Shashank's name, PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta raised the paddle and the cricketer was quickly sold. According to reports, the franchise later 'realised' that it had made a mistake and approached the auctioneer to reverse the deal.
In its clarification, PBKS said, "Media have reported on Shashank Singh being bought erroneously by Punjab Kings. The Kings would like to clarify that the player 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 on board and see him contribute to our success," said the PBKS statement.
A PBKS official told PTI on Wednesday that the right player had been picked and he was being scouted by the franchise for quite some time.
"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," said the PBKS official.
"Reports are confusing him with a 19-year-old cricketer with the same name."
Punjab Kings, formerly Kings XI Punjab, are one of the eight inaugural franchises of the IPL jointly owned by Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman, Preity Zinta and Karan Paul. The team has never won an IPL title.
🚨 Official Update 🚨
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) December 20, 2023
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.
Two players of similar names on the IPL list created confusion. I am delighted to share that the right Shashank Singh has been onboarded. He has put out some noteworthy performances, and we're ready to unleash his talent.
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) December 20, 2023
- Satish Menon
CEO, Punjab Kings.
Ik hor 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 included to #SaddaSquad! 🦁#IPL2024Auction #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #JazbaHaiPunjabi pic.twitter.com/I0ON3p1DSa
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) December 19, 2023
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Rajsthan Royals beat Punjab Kings by 6 wickets
Mullanpur (PTI): Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by six wickets in their Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.
Invited to bat, opener Prabhsimran Singh scored 59 up front while Marcus Stoinis provided the final flourish with an unbeaten 62 off 22 balls as Punjab Kings posted 222 for 4.
The Royals then put up a collective batting effort to overhaul the target with four balls to spare.
Earlier, leg spinner Yash Punja picked up two wickets for the visitors.
Brief Scores:
Punjab Kings: 222 for 4 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 59, Marcus Stoinis 62 not out; Yash Punja 2/41).
Rajasthan Royals: 228 for 4 in 19.2 overs (Yashasvi Jasiwal 51, Donovan Ferreira 52 not out; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/36)
