Shashank Singh, the vice-captain of PBKS, was dropped from their match against Rajasthan Royals, which is a massive clash for the two top-tier teams in this edition of the IPL. Punjab Kings have been the most dominant team in this edition of the competition.
The runners-up of the last season of the IPL are on an unbeaten run this season and have secured the top spot in the points table with 13 points after seven matches as only one of their matches ended in a draw as rain played a negative role.
Why did Shreyas Iyer drop Shashank Singh against RR?
Shreyas Iyer lost the toss against Riyan Parag at the Kings’ home ground in New Chandigarh, where they had not lost a single game so far this season, despite massive scores being racked up at this venue.
Shreyas Iyer, during the toss, revealed that they have a forced change as Shashank Singh was dropped from the playing XI and replaced by Suryansh Shegde, the Mumbai-based batsman.
“We would have also loved to bowl first because I asked one of our team members; he told me that the wicket was basically covered for a couple of days due to bad weather, but apart from that, I personally feel that every time you bat or bowl, it is a big challenge, and we are all quite proactive irrespective of the toss decision,” Shreyas Iyer said at the toss.
“We have a forced change. So, Suryansh (Shedge) replaces Shashank, who is forced, and the other is Lockie (Ferguson), who replaces
Are drop catches the real reason behind Shashank Singh’s snub from PBKS XI?
Shashank Singh’s role with the bat has been very limited this season; However, he has not disappointed them every time they have asked him to rescue them with the ball. He has bowled some spectacular overs with the ball this season.
On the other hand, Shashank Singh has been poor on the field, especially failing to retain catches. Singh missed around four catches in the last two games and had a harrowing outing despite PBKS winning on both occasions.
He bowled KL Rahul in the last game who added 140 runs alone and set a huge total for the Kings. Shashank was also seen struggling with his hamstring in the last game, which could also be one of the reasons behind his absence, which Iyer did not reveal at the toss.
New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson returns for PBKS in IPL 2026
While the Punjab Kings have been exceptional with the bat on all occasions, they have struggled with the ball in particular. Although his death bowling has been comparatively impressive, his new bowling has been very poor.
Lockie Ferguson has returned to the Punjab Kings this season after being unavailable in the opening matches due to personal reasons. Xavier Bartlett, who made too many runs in the last game, was eventually released from the XI.
In this crucial clash against RR, where PBKS look to maintain their unbeaten run, Lockie Ferguson has been included in the XI and will be seen in action for the Kings.
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