Shashank Singh heard the soul-crushing news from Mumbai late last year. Vidya Paradkar, a well-known maidan coach who trained Zaheer Khan and Ajinkya Rahane while also taking Shashank under his wing, has passed away. Pramila, the widow of Paradkar, was on the opposite end of the queue.
Pramila, 67, was surprised by what happened next. “He came here to play at the DY Patil Stadium in November. ‘Mai handling karta hi. Aap chinta mat karo (don’t worry, I’ll manage the academy). When he has the chance, he comes to Mumbai and teaches the children.
There were worries over the 32-year-old’s IPL future. In 10 appearances for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022, he scored 69 runs. Shashank had rediscovered his second wind, thanks to crisp hitting, match-winning knocks, and a cool head in the middle — the most recent example being his undefeated 68 off 28 in a world record pursuit against KKR.
