“For me, Rohit Sharma is my leader” – Shashank Singh reveals best advice received from India’s ODI skipper [Exclusive]

Shashank Singh is a great student of the game, someone who consistently seeks to learn from the more experienced cricketers around him. His eagerness to improve his craft has caught the attention of fans and experts alike. In the last couple of Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons, Shashank has performed magnificently for Punjab Kings.

During an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Shashank was asked about the best piece of advice he received from an Indian cricketer. The 33-year-old mentioned that during an interaction with Rohit Sharma, the Indian ODI captain advised him to keep things simple and not get confused by taking too many suggestions from people about his game.

I have got a lot of advice from cricketers, but one time I got advice from Rohit bhai. I don’t remember if it was last year or this year. Usually, when Rohit bhai comes, we ask him a lot of questions about what to do. It was last year. What to do, what not to do, how to play. 
So, I went to him and asked him what he thought. He told me simply that everyone has a different way of playing. My way is different, your way is different. Everyone is playing their way. So, if I tell you to play this shot, that shot, you will get more confused,” Shashank said.

“Make this game very simple. Anyway, a game is very complicated. There is a tension that you should bat 5 overs, you should bat 3 overs, you don’t have to give a wicket, power is missing, you don’t have to get out. The more you simplify, the better. I should know that I can play my game. If I go and ask someone, Sir, teach me so and so shot. It feels good, but again, at the end of the day, when you are standing on that 22-yards, the more you simplify, what do you think you will be able to perform, you have to play that,” he added.

Shashank said that Rohit advised him not to try new things every season, but instead, to work on the skills that have brought him success in his cricketing journey.

If I go and ask 10 people after the match, what else do I have to do? No. Till now, the level at which I have come, I think I am very close to the highest level. The way I have come, I have to do the same. I don’t have to do anything different. Yes, I have to be more consistent in that. But I won’t say that you have to do this, you have to do that, you have to add one more shot, that doesn’t make sense. The success I am getting now, I have to make sure that I keep cleaning up and keep getting smoother, rather than trying some new things every season. That was the small advice I had received from Rohit bhai to make my game simpler,” Shashank explained.

Shashank Singh wants to play under MS Dhoni’s leadership

While Shashank admitted that he dreams of playing under the legendary MS Dhoni’s leadership, he mentioned that he considers Rohit as his leader.

Mahi Bhai has set a trend as a leader, and I’ve never had the chance to play under his captaincy, though I’ve played under Rohit Bhai. It has always been a dream of mine to play under Mahi Bhai’s leadership. But for me, Rohit Sharma is the leader.

Shashank has played 41 IPL games so far in his career. The right-handed batter has scored 773 runs at an average of 40.68 and a strike rate of 157.76. In IPL 2025, he finished with an average of 50 and a strike rate of 153.51, playing a major role in Punjab Kings’ run to the final.

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