‘Shikhar's injury is part and parcel of the game, people praise and also troll, don't take it to heart’: Shashank Singh

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Shashank Singh said that Shikhar Dhawan’s experience is unmatchable, but his absence will provide an opportunity for young cricketers in the side.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Shashank Singh also shared his views on tackling social media praise and trolls.

PBKS captain Shikhar Dhawan could be out of action for a week or 10 days after suffering a shoulder injury. He missed PBKS' Saturday night's match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) as Sam Curran stepped up to take captaincy duty.

Commenting on this, Shashank said, “Shikhar's injury is part and parcel of the game. But it is also an opportunity for other players. No one can match the kind of experience Shikhar has but, in his absence, someone from the team will take that spot.

“There are young players in the team who are looking to grab the opportunity,” he said.

PBKS are currently placed seventh in the points table, with four losses in six matches.

Reacting to that, Shashank said, “The momentum of the tournament seems to be shifting in the second half. We have eight matches left and we are confident that we will win. We lost our matches on the last ball or second-last ball.”

Further talking about handling pressure, considering the nature of the game and post-match social media praise and trolls, the 32-year-old cricketer said, “I have shared a dressing room with Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant etc so I talk to them how they handle pressure.” “Sometimes we do yoga or cut down from social media for a day. We can't go away from social media forever, but we can detach ourselves from it for the time being and then come back when you are in a good space. Fans praise and also troll. So even if it is good or bad, don't take it to heart. Professional cricketers have learned to maintain balance with all such things over time.”

Asked who was his idol in cricket, Shashank said, “I used to watch Sachin Tendulkar's batting and when white ball cricket progressed so much, I started enjoying watching AB de Villiers. Apart from batting, his mental ability was interesting to see how he could read the bowler and play shots. AB seemed to me a different player in the white-ball circuit.”

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