Shashank Singh joined the 2014 runners-up but a delay was caused as the franchise appeared to suggest they had mistakenly acquired him. A statement has since been released by Satish Menon attempting to explain the incident
Punjab Kings claim they did not acquire Shashank Singh in error during the Indian Premier League player auction.
The 32-year-old batting allrounder, previously of Sunrisers Hyderabad, was signed for 20 lakh during the accelerated round.
But there was a delay in resuming the process - Tanay Thyagarajann, who they would also sign, was the next player due to be bid on - as members of the Kings table attempted to catch the attention of auctioneer Mallika Sagar.
Though owners Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta, who were accompanied by head coach Trevor Bayliss who led England to 2019 Cricket World Cup glory, were inaudible, Sagar was heard saying: "It was the wrong name, you don't want the player?"
Chief executive Satish Menon (left) has clarified the Kings' position (MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
She later stated, referencing the rules of the auction: "The hammer has come down."
Identically-named 20-year-old Indian batter Shashank Singh had earlier gone unsold in the auction.
Kings have now released a statement nearly 24 hours after the mix-up took place, clarifying their position and the reason for the delay.
"Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list," a statement quoting chief executive Satish Menon read on X (formerly Twitter).
Kings co-owner Preity Zinta (right) appeared to try and have the addition overturned (MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)
England's Chris Woakes was among the Kings' auction signings (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
"The confusion was due to two players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him on board and see him contribute to our success.
"Two players of similar names on the IPL list created confusion. I am delighted to share that the right Shashank Singh has been onboarded.
"He has put out some noteworthy performances, and we're ready to unleash his talent."
Prior to that point Kings had added Harshal Patel, Rilee Rossouw, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma and Vishwanath Singh - and would subsequently round off their business with the addition of Prince Choudhary.
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