After the comical scenes in the auction where the Punjab Kings delegation appeared to attempt to take their purchase of Singh back, the franchise has released a statement. It reads: “Media have reported on Shashank Singh being bought erroneously by the Punjab Kings. The Kings would like to clarify that the player was always on our target list.

“The confusion was due to two players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him on board and see him contribute to our success.”

🚨 Official Update 🚨

Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him onboard and see him contribute to our success.

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) December 20, 2023

READ: Punjab Kings mistakenly buy Shashank Singh at IPL 2024 auction

The confusion came during the accelerated round of the auction. Shashank’s name was called out, and Punjab Kings were the only franchise that bid for him, buying him at his base price of INR 20 lakh. Immediately after the gavel was brought down, PBKS owners Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta signalled to auctioneer Mallika Sagar that they wished to take the bid back.

However, they were not allowed to do so, meaning the 32-year-old who had been released by Sunrisers Hyderabad before last year’s auction became part of Punjab Kings squad.

According to the statement, the confusion came from another identically named player, whose name had not yet been called, being down on the auction sheet. The ‘other’ Shashank Singh is 19 years old, and played for the Kanchenjunga Warriors in Bengal T20 Challenge. When his name did come up, he went unsold.