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
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sharad Pawar praised RSS after seeing how it burst fake narrative balloon of LS polls: Fadnavis
Nagpur, Jan 10: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar praised the RSS after realising how the outfit managed to overcome the fake narrative spread by the opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The opposition had claimed BJP wanted to win 400 seats to change the Constitution and end reservations, a narrative which BJP leaders later claimed hit the party hard.
On Pawar praising the RSS recently, the CM said the MVA was successful in creating a fake narrative during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"When assembly polls were approaching, many people from diverse fields who are inspired by the RSS played their role and burst the balloon of this fake narrative. Sharad Pawar saheb is very intelligent. He would have certainly studied this aspect. He realised that this (RSS) is not a regular political power but a nationalist power. In any competition it is good to praise others," he added.
That is why Pawar may have praised the RSS, Fadnavis said.
Speaking at an interaction with senior editor Vivek Ghalsasi at Late Vilasji Fadnis Jivhala programme here, Fadnavis also said he had asked for organisational work when Eknath Shinde was made chief minister in June 2022, but senior leaders asked him to join the government.
He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him not to behave like an extra-constitutional authority in the government.
He said the decision to become deputy chief minister on the command of the party leadership earned him a lot of praise from the cadre.
After the massive mandate the ruling alliance received in the 2024 assembly polls, Fadnavis said people and party workers would not have been happy if the CM was not from the BJP.
Shinde himself agreed within minutes that the CM must be from the BJP, which itself got 132 seats and was close to a majority of its own in the 288-member assembly, he added.
On Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray meeting him during the winter sessions of the legislature in Nagpur, Fadnavis said he had announced he would not indulge in politics of revenge after becoming CM and all leaders responded positively to it.
On chances of the NCP (SP) and NCP coming closer or reuniting, Fadnavis said, "If you see the developments that took place from 2019 to 2024, I realised never say never and anything can happen. Uddhav Thackeray goes to some other party and Ajit Pawar comes to us. In politics anything can happen though I am not saying this should happen."
He praised BJP leader Arun Gujarati from whom he learnt patience, which he claimed was an important quality in politics along with the ability to take criticism.
In a lighter vein, he said, "I only get angry when I am hungry. If you see me angry then give me something to eat and my anger will go away."
