Australia cricketer Steve Smith has commended Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh’s remarkable performance, suggesting that the franchise might reconsider its decision not to retain him for the upcoming auctions. This revelation comes after reports emerged that Punjab Kings had initially bid for Shashank by mistake at the December auction before a formal clarification rectified the situation.

Shashank Singh’s pivotal role in Punjab Kings’ thrilling three-wicket victory against Gujarat Titans recently, where he smashed an unbeaten 61 off just 29 balls to chase down a daunting target of 200 in Ahmedabad, caught the attention of cricket enthusiasts worldwide.

Reflecting on Shashank Singh’s stellar innings, Steve Smith expressed his admiration, stating, “Yeah, it was incredible. They wanted to put Shashank Singh back in the auction, but I’m not sure they’d want to do that now. That was an incredible knock. 61 of 29 balls, that was great to witness, under pressure, that partnership in the back end was outstanding. So the game has everything; it went right down to the wire,” during an interview with Star Sports.

ALSO READ: Venkatesh Prasad Gives Crucial Insights On India’s T20 World Cup Squad

Former England cricketer Stuart Broad also weighed in on Punjab Kings’ remarkable comeback against Gujarat Titans. Broad admitted, “Yeah, after 10 overs of the Punjab Kings innings, I thought it was almost game done, to be honest. I thought the Titans were fully in it with Rashid Khan still having some overs to bowl. But Shashank came out and just found the boundary with ease, particularly his pull shots that were just flying into the stands, and he deserved that. It wouldn’t have been fitting for him to have finished on the losing side. He really dragged his team over the line in these final few overs.”

Additionally, Stuart Broad praised Ashutosh Sharma’s crucial innings, highlighting his ability to find boundaries under pressure. Ashutosh’s 17-ball 31, coupled with a match-winning 43-run partnership with Shashank, played a significant role in Punjab Kings’ thrilling victory.

“Incredible, I think the sweep shot is a real strength of his, and what surprised me really is he was very aware of where the fielders were. So that is a skill when you’re under pressure, you know, big ground, big stadium, you go out as an impact sub, there’s lots going on in your mind. So having the clarity to pick the gaps and find the boundary with the shot selection was really good, and Punjab wouldn’t have got that result without him coming in and just injecting those boundaries,” remarked Stuart Broad.

Stuart Broad also shed light on the challenges of fielding in different stadiums, emphasizing how varying conditions can affect a player’s ability to take catches effectively.

ALSO READ: Jonny Bairstow Aims To Shine Against Former Franchise

He explained, “You do get different stadiums where it’s just more difficult to take catches, just the vision of it off the bat. Sometimes, you can lose sight of it in the crowd. And as soon as you lose sight of it off the bat, you tense up, your shoulders go tense, and that makes it so much harder to catch. So there are some stadiums where you don’t get quite the visuals that make it very hard to take a catch.”