Shashank Singh leaves Chhattisgarh for Puducherry
Shashank Singh has made the decision to leave Chhattisgarh and play for Puducherry in the domestic season in 2026-27. He has been issued an NOC by the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS).
Shashank claimed that the CSCS officials' "disrespect" was the final straw. When Cricinfo reached out to the association, a senior CSCS official said: "The player had requested the NOC, which has been issued. Whatever else he has said are his views, and the association doesn't want to make any further comment on the matter."
Shashank revealed to Cricinfo that "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 didn't have a proper explanation for why I was excluded from the [2026] Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League. They didn't tell me why I wasn't considered for the conditioning camp for the state probables.
"I'm 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."
Shashank alleges issues of "indifference" first cropped up during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, when he went off the field after suffering a shoulder strain while fielding against Mumbai.
"Scans revealed a Grade 2 shoulder strain, which our physio was privy to, but the association officials felt I simply wasn't interested. I batted in that match despite my injury, but evidently they didn't see it the same way." Shashank also cites several instances during the white-ball season, where similar accusations - of him not being committed enough - were made.
"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'm 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.
"At the time, doctors even felt I'd be touch-and-go for the IPL. But it wasn't enough to convince Chhattisgarh officials that it was serious enough."
Having suffered multiple injuries over the past year, Shashank now wants to play only in the white-ball format for at least the upcoming season. This, he believes, will give him the best chance to play as an allrounder.
"In red-ball cricket, I tried my best to play as an allrounder, but my body didn't allow it, and I'm tired of trying to convince people of this," he said. "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."
In a career that spanned seven years with Chhattisgarh, Shashank played 24 first-class games, scoring 905 runs at an average of 29.19. His List A numbers are far better: 927 runs in 31 matches, an average of 40.30 and a strike rate of 111.95, apart from 35 wickets. He also played 42 T20s for them, scoring 653 runs at a strike rate of 129.30 and picking up 18 wickets.
In the IPL, Shashank is currently part of Punjab Kings, where he is vice-captain to Shreyas Iyer. An incredible 2024 season as a finisher - 354 runs (mostly at Nos. 5 and 6) at a strike rate of 164.65 - paved the way for his retention ahead of the mega auction.
He was a key player in the team finishing as runners-up in 2025, but he only had a modest 2026 season because of form issues, missed catches, and concerns about injuries. "Puducherry is a fresh start," he said. After fully recovering from my injuries, "I'm hoping to rediscover my white-ball proficiency."
