'Not Shashank': Preity Zinta lifts the lid on IPL auction fiasco and how her opinion was changed

On Friday, Preity Zinta, the co-owner of Punjab Kings, praised Shashank Singh, the star performer in their thrilling three-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans. Despite facing criticism and jokes after the IPL auction controversy, Shashank showed resilience and delivered when it counted.

On Thursday, the 32-year-old Shashank played a spectacular innings, scoring an unbeaten 61 off just 29 balls to lead PBKS to a nail-biting win against Shubman Gill's Titans. They successfully chased down a challenging target of 200 runs with only one ball remaining.

During the IPL auction in Dubai last December, Punjab Kings reportedly attempted to retract their bid for Shashank, but the auctioneer declined as the gavel had already fallen. The franchise later clarified that Shashank was always a part of their plans and the confusion arose due to two players sharing the same name being listed in the auction.

"Today seems like the perfect day to finally talk about things that were said in the past about us (PBKS) at the auction. A lot of people in similar situations would have lost confidence, buckled under pressure or become de-motivated... but not Shashank!" wrote Preity on 'X'.

Preity Zinta also commended the cricketer for his positive mindset and self-belief, especially in light of the confusion from last year.

"He is not like a lot of people. He is truly special. Not just because of his skill as a player but because of his positive attitude & incredible spirit. He took all the comments, jokes and brick bats so sportingly & never became a victim.

"He backed himself and showed us what he is made of, and for that I applaud him. He has my admiration & my respect. I hope he can be an example to all of you when life takes a different turn & does not play according to script, for it's not what people think of you that matters, but what You think of Yourself! "So never stop believing in yourself like Shashank & I'm sure you will be Man of the match in the game of life." Shashank's IPL stint began with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) when he was picked by the franchise in 2017. He then moved to Rajasthan Royals (2019-21) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2022) before Punjab Kings bought him for Rs 20 lakh.