As part of a marathon IPL auction, there were a bizarre moment of… well, mistaken identity.
During the accelerated round, Punjab Kings appeared to (accidentally) bid for Shashank Singh. Shashank’s name was called out for a base price of 20 Lakhs before Punjab raised its paddle.
But when the hammer went down and the next player was set to be announced, Punjab co-owners Ness Wadia and Preity Zint appeared to be discussing that they’d made a mistake and wanted to withdrawal their bid.
Watch Australia v Pakistan on Kayo Sports. Every Test match Live with no ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
STUNNING $12M AUSSIE IPL BONANZA AS STARC CRUSHES RECORD, SHOCK QUICK EARNS FORTUNE
Auctioneer Mallika Sagar however stood her ground and said they had to keep Shashank under auction rules.
“The hammer has come down now,” Sagar told Zinta and Wadia.
If any team completes a bid, under auction rules they are required take that player and can’t withdrawal them once the hammer has gone down.
Shashank, a 32-year old who plays for Chattisgarh in domestic cricket, went unsold last year in the auction after being released by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The mix up might’ve happened due to the fact that were was two players named Shashank Singh in the auction shortlist. The other is a 20-year old uncapped batsman from Bengal with no previous IPL experience.
As to be expected, the Punjab’s blunder prompted some reaction from the cricket world.
“We don’t see that in the auction if you are clear with your plans,” commentator Suhail Chandok said on Jio Cinema.
Former New Zealand national coach Mike Hesson, who was appearing as an expert on the program, added of Punjab: “Not sure what Punjab achieved from this IPL auction. They have a lot of backups but not a lot of substance.”
Discussion about this post