Had you bet on Shashank Singh’s words before IPL 2025 began, you’d be counting profits now. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter’s bold prediction “Top 2 pe bol raha hu” has turned prophetic. Let alone the top-two playoff spot, PBKS have topped the league stage with 19 points and could end up there considering today’s IPL match’s result goes there way ( if LSG beat RCB).
Shashank Singh’s vision; PBKS’ execution
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast in March, Shashank had confidently said PBKS would finish No. 1. It seemed audacious then. But on May 27, Punjab Kings humbled Mumbai Indians by seven wickets, chasing 185 with composure. Inglis (73) and Arya (62) built the foundation before Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera sealed the win.
“Punjab Kings number 1. Top 2 pe bol raha hu, Punjab Kings number 1 pe finish karega points table pe (I am saying top 2. Punjab Kings will finish at top spot in the points table),” Shashank Singh had said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel two months ago.
The lop-sided triumph confirmed PBKS’ top-two finish for the first time since 2014. While Ricky Ponting-Shreyas Iyer combo has done wonders for them now, back in 2014 it was another Australian involved, with George Bailey taking the team to its maiden IPL final.
From Day 1, head coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer made it clear that Punjab Kings would be more than a collection of cricketers. “We created a culture where everyone—from Yuzi Chahal, our most senior player, to the team bus driver—was treated with equal respect,” Shashank said in a post-match interview. “That was the motto Ponting sir and Shreyas set right at the start.”
From stars like Arshdeep Singh and Iyer to uncapped gems like Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank himself, everyone stood tall when it mattered.
The team, he explained, started believing in their shared vision as early as the auction. A WhatsApp group was created where players spoke about the dream of lifting the trophy and, as a first step, finishing in the top two. “Manifesting is one thing, believing is another,” Shashank said. “We believed, we manifested, and then we worked for it.”
