It was just a matter of time before the doors of the national cricket squad were flung open to Vikram Rajvir Singh following his sterling performance in the Challenger Series.
No, this 20-year-old seamer from Chandigarh did not pick up wickets in heaps; he in fact had just a couple of wickets against his name. Yet what enabled him to leave a lasting impression on batsmen as well as those sitting outside the stadium was the bristling pace he conjured up during the tournament.
“He is the quickest around at present,” conceded VVS Laxman and Javagal Srinath after watching him bowl. And with the admission of the fact coming from the stalwarts, the new pace sensation of the country was born.
And, in hindsight, one can say he was absolutely right. VRV Singh, as he is known in cricketing circles, kept adding a yard or two to his pace as he rose through the ranks to his Ranji Trophy debut last year. He picked up bagful of wickets in his debut season, but again it was his pace more than wickets that made people stand up and take notice.
He was subsequently picked up for a short stint in Australia under Gavaskar-Border Scholarship, got a call from Irani Trophy and then Challenger, which brought him in the limelight.
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