Mullanpur (Punjab) [India], April 9 (ANI): Punjab Kings' explosive batter Shashank Singh credited legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara for the balance he has been able to maintain between timing and a belligerent batting approach while fulfilling the middle-order role.

Shashank put on a blistering show in Mullanpur with his calm demeanour but ferocious batting display against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. After Priyansh Arya fired his maiden T20 century, Shashank applied the finishing touches by offering the much-needed fireworks with his 52* to lift Punjab to a daunting 219/6.

The 33-year-old dynamic batter gave credit to Lara for giving him the much-needed confidence when he was a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad three years ago. While Shashank's time in Hyderabad was overshadowed by his mediocre 69 runs at an average of 17.25, Lara had a simple message for Shashank: don't try to imitate someone else; just focus on timing the ball to perfection.

'I will give this credit to Brian Lara. When I played for SRH three years back, he was someone who told me at number seven or eight, it is not always power-hitting. When you talk about these numbers, you talk about Russell or Pollard,' Shashank told reporters in the post-match press conference.

'He told me that if you bat at six or seven, you should back your game and instincts rather than be like someone else. If I am not a power hitter, I have to see the angles. So that is something that keeps me going,' he added.

Shashank's fiery bat display paved the way for Punjab's 18-run victory against Chennai, which was their third victory in the ongoing edition. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting have been the silent conductors behind Punjab's harmonious performances. Shreyas, who offers freedom, injects positivity into the squad and keeps his message clear without a shadow of doubt, has thrived as Punjab's skipper.

'Shreyas has been very approachable. His door is open for everyone. He is very positive. There are no ifs and buts in his language,' Shashank said about Shreyas and his captaincy.

Shashank thanked Ponting for supporting him after his unimpressive show during the practice fixtures and said, 'He (Ponting) always tells us to express ourselves. I didn't perform in the practice match and wasn't timing the ball.'

'Shreyas texted me and said he had a chat with Ricky sir. It is just that I have to time the ball. He told me I was a good timer of the ball, and he believed in me. All these things help at this level. It is not always about skill; it is also about the mental setup,' he added.

The crafty batter emphasized the importance of mustering up victories on home turf as a crucial factor behind making a case for the playoffs and said, 'If you want to qualify for the playoffs, you need to win home games. Last year, it didn't go well at our home, but this year, it has been lovely. We had a good practice session; there was a lot of work before the IPL that helped us better understand the conditions.' (ANI)