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Prabhsimran finally gets his moment under the sun
Punjab Kings opener comes good after making the headlines with a ₹4.8 crore bid in 2018
In 2018, the world around an 18-year-old Prabhsimran Singh changed within a few minutes as he watched Kings XI Punjab bid ₹4.8 crore for him. But he got to play one match in the 2019 IPL, scoring 15 as a middle-order bat. The next three seasons were no different for him. Bought for ₹55 lakh in 2020, he played two games. Two games again in 2021 after being retained. Bought for ₹60 lakh in IPL 2022, but one game this time.
In the relentless churn of the IPL, Prabhsimran was on the verge of being another speck on the radar, the difference being he didn’t even get a decent chance to showcase himself.
Punjabi batters can hit the ball hard. But their turnover is also particularly high among Indian batters who rise, fall and disappear within a span of a few seasons. Prabhsimran, however, persevered, patiently waiting for his chance.
This version of Prabhsimran, the opener who doesn’t worry if it looks pretty or not as long as a shot fetches runs, not fussy about bats or superstitions, is a time-honoured outcome of that perseverance. There is no missing the typical Punjabi feistiness too.
“Whenever I’m playing the cut or the pull, I’m at peace.” Prabhsimran said in an interview with Punjab Kings.
Hailing from a cricket family–his cousin Anmolpreet also is a state and IPL player–Prabhsimran waited in the wings as the opening position changed hands between KL Rahul, Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal. But the slot finally fell vacant for him once Jonny Bairstow was ruled out due to injury.
In a side where the yield of the top-order batters is particularly high, more because of lack of conviction than it actually is about talent, you might get the vibe that Prabhsimran is finally settling into a permanent role.
"Apart from this season, he never got a consistent run, for various reasons,” said Wasim Jaffer, Punjab’s batting coach, after their five-run win over Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. “We had Bairstow, and then KL, and Mayank was there before. This time around, obviously he could get that run."
Prabhsimran is not leaving anything to chance though. He can’t be faulted for thinking he may have thrown away a promising innings after racing to a 12-ball 23 against KKR in Mohali in the previous match. This time, however, he kept going, coming down particularly hard on KM Asif who was carted for three boundaries and two sixes.
But it was a stupendous boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin–sitting down and slog sweeping it past deep midwicket–that showed he is also not afraid to take on spin either.
"He's been a fabulous player. No matter how good you are, you need a consistent run,” said Jaffer. “So he can play a lot more fearlessly. He's always been a very good player and it's good that he has come good, which is a good sign because we don't have Bairstow. Somebody at the top who bats like that...so I'm really happy for him.”
Had it not been for Jos Buttler’s brilliant catch, Prabhsimran looked primed to score more. But at least he has shown that he belongs at this level. The next few matches will now be spent trying to prove he is no flash in the pan.
