PBKS' Shashank excited to share field with Aussie star allrounders Stonis & Maxwell

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Punjab Kings' (PBKS) batter Shashank Singh, who has been retained by the franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, has expressed his excitement to share the dressing room with Australia's premier allrounders Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell in the league next year.

Shashank had an impressive outing with Punjab Kings in IPL 2024, scoring 354 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 164.65 and having an average of 44.25, while establishing himself as one of the most reliable finishers in the competition alongside Ashutosh Sharma, who was sold to the Delhi Capitals for 3.80 crore in the mega auction.

"It's a huge opportunity for me; both of them are among the best all-rounders in the world, especially in white-ball cricket. Stoinis is a medium-pace all-rounder and bats lower down the order, which is quite similar to what I do. Then there's Maxwell—everyone knows he is a match-winner for Australia," Shashank told IANS.

PBKS spent a total of 15.20 crore to acquire the services of the star Australian all-rounder duo Marcus Stoinis (Rs 11 crore) and Glenn Maxwell (Rs 4.20 crore) at the mega auction.

"I'll get to learn so much from him, and he is also an exceptional fielder. It will be exciting to discuss a lot of things with him since he is one of Australia's prime all-rounders. I’m eagerly looking forward to share the dressing room with them and building a good relationship," he added.

The 33-year-old batter further said having a 'smart and experienced' captain in Shreyas Iyer will be beneficial for PBKS. Former Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2024-winning captain Iyer was sold to PBKS for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore, the highest-ever bid in the history of the tournament in the IPL 2025 Auction.

"Winning the IPL is a huge achievement, and Shreyas won the IPL last year. Even now, the way he is leading Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy shows his smart and youthful captaincy. It’s very beneficial for a team to have an experienced captain. Ricky Ponting and Shreyas were together in Delhi when they reached the IPL final. This is a great sign for PBKS that Shreyas will be leading the team," said Shashank.

Shashak also revealed what discussion he had with new head coach Australian great Ricky Ponting. He said, "Before the auction, I had several discussions with Ricky sir about things like the batting order I should play in and how I can contribute better to the team. He has been a very smart player and is now a smart coach as well, with 10 years of IPL experience. I’m looking forward to sharing a lot of things with him and learning from his expertise."

With Punjab Kings yet to win an IPL title, Shashank is keen to build on the success he got in IPL 2024 and contribute to the team's victory in the tournament.

"The team has the same expectations from me as last year. My job is to go there, perform, and help the team win. I have the same expectations for myself as well. In the next IPL, I aim to give my best and lead the team to victory," he said.

Reflecting on his aspirations of representing Team India, Shashank concluded by saying, "We should take it match by match. Of course, the ultimate goal is to represent the Indian team and play for a long time. For that, every tournament—whether it’s the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ranji Trophy, or IPL—is important. Maintaining fitness is also crucial, and I need to keep myself fit. Sometimes, we think too far ahead, which can impact our performance. That’s why focusing on one game at a time is a better approach."

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