Shashank Singh & Ashutosh Sharma: Two stars from cricketing backwaters

SHASHANK SINGH HAILS from Bhilai, famously known for the steel plant. Ashutosh Sharma is from Ratlam, which is best known for the dialogue "Ratlam ki galiyaan, in the Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jab We Met. Neither Bhilai nor Ratlam is famous for being a cricketing hub.

- RAHUL PANDEY, DEVENDRA PANDEY & PRATYUSH RAJ

On Thursday night, the two little-known uncapped players led Punjab Kings to a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Singh clubbed four sixes and six boundaries in his unbeaten 61 off 29 balls, while Ashutosh scored a quickfire 17-ball 31.

Mohammed Kaif, who has seen Shashank from close quarters during his two-year stint with Chattisgarh sums up the "fearless" approach of the two batters.

"Players like Shashank wait for the opportunity and they know that if they fail no one is going to talk about them. No one will be bothering why they failed. Every chance is the last chance for them. Such players come from small cities and have big hunger," Kaif tells The Indian Express.

"I met him this season during the RCB game and he got out on 0 batting down the order. He said bhai aage karoonga, pakka karoonga (I will do better in the future) and he has been not out since then. It's not an easy position to bat, especially for uncapped players batting at number 7. Mostly each team has a foreigner who plays at that position someone like Andre Russell. The lower order batsman will have to score against quality attacks and face bowlers like Bumrah in the end. So to perform there is a big thing," adds Kaif.

On the same lines, Amey Khurasia, who scouted Sharma, when he was 12, says the the small cameo means a lot for Ashutosh and players like him, who have fought the system to reach this level.

"One should offer a prayer for such players. Ashutosh would have been lost if not for the Punjab Kings. He has lost 34 years of his cricket because of the dirty politics," says Khurasia.