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Vijay Merchant Trophy for U-16: Ludhiana lad’s bowling prowess guides Punjab to Vijay
What’s stunning is that Anmoljeet has had as many as nine five-wicket hauls in Vijay Merchant Trophy for U-16 with guidance from seasoned coach Ravneet Singh Ricky; his bowling prowess has not only impressed the cricket fraternity but also his role model and India legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh
The 15-year-old off-spinner, Anmoljeet Singh, from Punjab is the new kid on the block. With 65 wickets in the season, Singh is perhaps the only bowler to scalp these many wickets playing in the Vijay Merchant Trophy for U-16, helping Punjab win the title.
A resident of Shimlapuri in Ludhiana, Anmoljeet is a Class 9 student of Guru Teg Bahadur Senior Secondary School.
What’s stunning is that Anmoljeet has had as many as nine five-wicket hauls with guidance from seasoned coach Ravneet Singh Ricky. His bowling prowess has not only impressed the cricket fraternity but also his role model and India legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh. And Anmoljeet will cherish the moment when Ricky made him speak to Harbhajan on the phone after the final against Madhya Pradesh at Coimbatore.
“I cannot express happiness I had speaking to Harbhajan sir. My heart was pumping with joy. His bowling has had great influence on my skills. I have tried to style my bowling on him. He just told me that he was thrilled to see me bowl well in the tournament and play a part in Punjab’s win in the final. He told me not to let my guard down in future and also not get distracted. Coming from my idol, I will never let him down and just focus on improving and delivering,” said Anmoljeet, who started as a medium-pacer when he was six and had joined Grewal Sports Academy in Ludhiana.
The turbaned Sikh bowler has distinct resemblance with Harbhajan‘s young days.
“When people compare me with Harbhajan sir and say that I bowl and look a lot like him when he started out, it feels wonderful. I might have picked up his style as I have watched thousands of his bowling videos,” felt Anmoljeet after picking 11 wickets in the final. Punjab beat MP by 10 wickets.
It was his father Balwinder Singh’s inclination towards the sport which propelled young Anmoljeet to join the academy. Even his mother Balwinder Kaur who shared the same name with his father, made sure their son was taken care of nicely at home so that he could deliver in matches.
“My father used to play club cricket in Ludhiana but he did not pursue it further as he had to earn livelihood for the family. So, he encouraged me to learn it and pursue it. I started as a medium-pacer but in a few months I turned into a spinner,” said Anmoljeet, who bowls conventional off-breaks and doesn’t mind tossing the ball in the air and building a loop around the batsmen. He bowled tremendously against Pondicherry in one of the games and bagged 12 wickets in the game.
“That performance gave me a lot of confidence. The coach also pushed me to keep up the work and aim for more. I think the preparation the players had during the last 18 months helped all to prepare well. Now it’s time to forget the past performances and start afresh. If I have to play for India, I have to work hard every day,” added Anmoljeet, who gets inspiration from Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, who were part of the victorious Punjab team that won the Vijay Merchant Trophy back in 2014-15. Then Punjab won in 2017-18 too.
“Anmoljeet has got phenomenal talent. Whenever Punjab needed a breakthrough, he was there to do that. The preparation for the tournament helped him achieve the maximum. He was encouraged to give flight to the ball and keep his natural skill intact. He is going to be an asset for Punjab and other teams in future. Harbhajan was following his performances,” said Ricky, a former first-class cricketer.
