PBKS batter Shashank Singh leaves Chhattisgarh ahead of 2026-27 domestic season, says he deserves clarity

NEW DELHI: Uncapped Indian batter Shashank Singh is set to part ways with Chhattisgarh ahead of the 2026-27 domestic season and represent Puducherry, citing a lack of “clarity” as the reason behind his move.

Shashank, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting star in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been given a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS), as per Cricinfo.

The batter has been representing Chhattisgarh since 2019 and alleged that the “disrespect” by the state board officials led to the decision. A senior official said to Cricinfo, ” The player had requested the NOC, which has been issued. Whatever else he has said are his views, and the association does not want to make any further comment on the matter.”

Shashank Singh has decided to part ways with Chhattisgarh and represent Puducherry in the 2026-27 domestic season

The allrounder alleges “disrespect” and “indifference” as reasons behind his move pic.twitter.com/kCmsmVU618

— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 3, 2026

Shashank, who had a poor IPL run with just 132 runs in nine innings with a half-century to his name, said that he tried having a dialogue with the state board on his exclusion from the 2026 Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) and why he was not considered for a conditioning camp involving state probables.

“This has been brewing for a while. I tried to engage in dialogue with the state association officials soon after the IPL season, but I didn’t receive any response. They did not have a proper explanation for why I was excluded from the [2026] Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League. They did not tell me why I wasn’t considered for the conditioning camp for the state probables,” he said.

“I am not saying you give me preferential treatment, but someone who won the BCCI award for the best domestic white-ball allrounder [for 2023-24] at least deserves some clarity, not ridicule,” he added.

The veteran said that issues of “indifference” first emerged during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, when he went off the field after a shoulder injury while fielding against Mumbai in the match. Shashank said that while the physio knew about the shoulder strain he faced, the association felt that he did not look “interested”.

“Scans revealed a Grade 2 shoulder strain, which our physio was privy to, but the association officials felt I simply was not interested. I batted despite the injury in that match, but obviously they did not see it the same way,” he said.

The 34-year-old said that during the white-ball season, more similar accusations about him not being committed enough to the domestic team were made. He pointed out that during the build-up to the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy last year, he suffered a hit on his thumb while batting at the CoE in Bengaluru and looked “touch-and-go” for the IPL. But Chhattisgarh officials, he said, were not convinced about his seriousness.

“Just before the Vijay Hazare Trophy, I was at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for some conditioning and batting prep – an initiative I had taken on my own since I am not a contracted player. During that stint, in one of the sessions, I got hit on the thumb by Prasidh Krishna and sustained a fracture,” he said.

“At the time, doctors even felt I’d be touch-and-go for the IPL. But it was not enough to convince Chhattisgarh officials that it was serious enough,” he said.

Having suffered several injuries over the past year, Shashank is prioritising white-ball cricket for the upcoming season, which he feels will help him function at his best as an all-rounder, saying that his body is not allowing him to prosper as an all-rounder in red-ball cricket.

“In red-ball cricket, I tried my best to play as an all-rounder, but my body did not allow it, and I am tired of trying to convince people of this. That is the reason why I only want to focus on white-ball, and Puducherry fortunately agreed to this request of mine before we got down to the paperwork,” he said.

In a career that has spanned seven years, Shashank represented Chhattisgarh in 24 first-class games at an average of 29.19, with a century and six fifties. His List-A numbers are much better, with 927 runs in 31 games at an average of 40.30, with two centuries and three fifties. He has also represented the state in 42 T20Is, scoring 653 runs at a strike rate of 129.30, with 18 wickets also taken.

In the IPL, Shashank serves as a deputy to PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, with an incredible 2024 season of 354 runs at a strike rate of 164.65, with two fifties in 14 innings leading to his retention ahead of the mega auction. Since then, he has played a key role in his team’s success. But the 2026 season was marked by poor form, dropped catches and injury concerns.

“Puducherry is a fresh start,” he said. “I am hoping to rediscover my white-ball proficiency after having fully recovered from my injuries,” signed off Shashank. (ANI)