Rajasthan Royals is a franchise which gives you freedom, says RR all-rounder Shashank Singh 

Mumbai is the city of dreams, the city which never sleeps. Thousands of people come to Mumbai to make their careers, but a lot of them return back home, a few of them live with disappointment, and only a handful of them produce results.

Shashank Singh shifted from Madhya Pradesh to Mumbai at the age of 17. "It was tough for me because I was only 17 at that time, it was tough to find a club but I was lucky that I found Vidya Paradkar Sir," said Shashank in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.

Shashank Singh was procured by the Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 auction of the Indian Premier League. The 27-year-old is an aggressive all-rounder who can hit the long ball when required.

Shashank credits his coach Vidya Paradkar for his success, "Vidya Sir really helped me out as I practiced under his guidance; without him, it wouldn't have been possible. From my stance to my specific shots, he is the one I share all my technical problems with," said Shashank when asked about his coach.

Recently, he played for DY Patil A as they clinched the Dr. DY Patil T20 Cup 2019. "Now, I play at DY Patil. I get better facilities at DY Patil so I stay there. I'm still in touch with Paradkar Sir, he is my personal coach. (But) I really need to thank Ashok Kadam Sir, he is the coach at DY Patil. I need to be innovative in the IPL so he is helping me with all the new shots," Shashank said when asked about his current team and his coach.

"For fitness, Balwinder Singh Sandhu Jr has helped me. He is playing the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai; currently he is unfit but two years back he was playing, (and) now he has given all his time with me. Azhar Qureshi, trainer for DY Patil, is helping me with my nutrition, training, agility and running. I've also improved my diet in the last couple of years and the results are showing; I feel more agile on the field," the all-rounder said about his fitness.

It's no surprise to hear the name of the person that Shashank looks up to with regard to fitness. "Not only me, Virat Kohli inspires everyone in the world. He is playing all three formats and doing great. You won't see a difference in him in the first Test of the series and the last Test. The commitment level is the same - that is fitness. He is the best in the world," gushed Shashank.

Shashank wasn't always a Rajasthan man; he was picked up by the Delhi Daredevils in 2017. He did not play any game there, but under the watchful eyes of Rahul Dravid, the youngster learned various things.

"It was really good, I was lucky because Rahul Sir was there. During the match, when you sit behind Rahul Sir, you get to know a lot of things. Zaheer bhai was also there; he is a street-smart cricketer, and I had a chat with him too. That really helped me out. The support staff was great, I’ll now be more confident when I step on the field," Shashank went on.

Shashank also talked in detail about his current IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals.

"Rajasthan Royals is a franchise which gives you freedom. They won't give you the added pressure. You can just go and play with freedom. Obviously, I want to do well. When I come back to the hotel, I want to feel satisfied that I did well today. My contribution should help the team and I want to give my best," he said.

At the end of the conversation, Shashank talked about his ultimate goal. "Playing for India is the ultimate goal. Things will come with time, I’ve got to keep believing in myself and keep performing. You should focus on the things you can control, (and) you’ll achieve your goal with short-term goals. You cannot be the CEO directly. It’s the same in cricket too; there are small steps, and you’ve got to go step by step. The final goal is to play for India," he finished with more than a hint of hope in his voice.

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