Now Reading: Shashank Singh adds bowling, fielding work to chase India cap
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Shashank Singh adds bowling, fielding work to chase India cap
Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh, 34, is using the franchise's five-day off-season camp in New Chandigarh to sharpen his bowling and rebuild fielding confidence, with an India call-up as his goal. He…
The Story in Brief
Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh, 34, is using the franchise's five-day off-season camp in New Chandigarh to sharpen his bowling and rebuild fielding confidence, with an India call-up as his goal. He told ANI he wants to maintain pace and length through his spell after a hamstring injury cost him 2-3 IPL 2026 matches. Shashank admitted dropping '6-7 catches' last season affected his enjoyment in the field, though captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting supported him. He has since taken 500 catches in a single session to rebuild muscle memory. Shashank has moved to Puducherry for the 2026-27 domestic season after seven years with Chhattisgarh.
Separately, The Hindu reports that Delhi opener Priyansh Arya, 24, is unfazed by competition for India's T20I opening slots. After scoring 475 runs at a strike rate of 179.24 in IPL 2025 and improving to a strike rate of 211.62 in 2026, Priyansh said he is learning from incumbents Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He recently represented India-A in a tri-series in Sri Lanka.
The Indian Opinion
Both Shashank and Priyansh are working harder than ever, but the national selection committee has a crowded field to choose from. The narrative that a good IPL season automatically earns a senior cap ignores the gap between franchise form and international pressure. Shashank's age (34) and Priyansh's inexperience outside the IPL are real filters. The test will be whether either can replicate these numbers for India-A against quality attacks, a yardstick that has exposed many before them.
Sources (2): rediff.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
