Shashank Singh will play for Pondicherry in the upcoming Indian domestic season.
Alongside Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar, the 34-year-old all-rounder will represent Pondicherry as a guest player after receiving a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the CSCS.
Shashank said that the state organization did not assist him in getting better after he sustained a fractured finger and a severe shoulder injury during the previous season.
Additionally, his name was excluded from both the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League roster and the team that went to Bengaluru for a preseason camp; despite asking for clarity, no explanation was given.
“I suffered serious shoulder and finger injuries last season, but the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh didn’t support me at all in this phase.
I was told that I only want to play in the IPL and not for Chhattisgarh in domestic cricket. The reality is that just last year (in Feb 2025), I was adjudged as India’s best all-rounder in the white-ball circuit by the BCCI when I was named as the recipient of the prestigious Lala Amarnath Award for the Best All-Rounder in Domestic Limited Overs Competitions for the 2023-24 season," Shashank told Times of India in an interview.
Shashank confirmed that he will step away from red-ball cricket temporarily this domestic season and will focus on white-ball cricket, as he aims to contribute as a genuine all-rounder.
“My body is still fresh. This is why I’m focusing more on white-ball cricket and taking a break from red-ball cricket for this season. I’m focusing on bowling my full quota of four overs in T20 cricket, for both Pondicherry and Punjab Kings in the IPL," he said.
Shashank Singh had a tough IPL season in 2026 but played a huge role in Punjab Kings’ qualification for the final of the IPL 2025, scoring 350 runs at a strike rate of 153.51.