Shashank Singh switches from Chhattisgarh to Pondicherry for 2026‑27 season

Punjab Kings all‑rounder Shashank Singh announced that he will leave the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) and represent Pondicherry in domestic cricket from the 2026‑27 season. He secured a No Objection Certificate from CSCS and said the state body gave him no support during a serious shoulder and finger injury last season, also omitting him from the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026 squad and a pre‑season camp in Bengaluru.

Singh rejected claims that he only wants to play IPL cricket, noting that he was named India’s best white‑ball all‑rounder by the BCCI and received the Lala Amarnath Award for the 2023‑24 limited‑overs season. He plans to focus on white‑ball formats, taking a break from red‑ball cricket, and aims to bowl his full quota of four overs in T20 matches for both Pondicherry and Punjab Kings. His recent domestic record includes 450 runs and 11 wickets in the 2024‑25 Vijay Hazare Trophy and 188 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, while he scored 350 runs at a 153.51 strike‑rate in IPL 2025.