Prabhsimran Singh. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
An explosive wicketkeeper-batter, Prabhsimran Singh has been associated with Punjab Kings (PBKS) since 2019 and their long-term investment seems to be paying off slowly. The Indian Premier League (IPL) serves as a platform to find and groom domestic talent and PBKS have always been at the forefront of that task. One such talent is Prabhsimran, who has now shown his mettle with a scintillating knock against Gujarat Titans (GT).
In his first four years with the franchise, the 23-year-old didn’t get much chance to excel. From 2019 to 2022, he played just six matches for PBKS and failed to make a significant impact in those limited opportunities. However, in the 2023 season, the franchise decided to give this promising star a long shot and he did not fail to return their faith.
Prabhsimran was given the role of opener alongside captain Shikhar Dhawan throughout the tournament. In the very first match itself, he gave a flying start for the team, but could not make it big. However, in their second game, the right-hander notched up his maiden fifty to cement his spot in the XI. He struggled to find runs in the next few matches, getting out in single-digit scores, but the management believed in him.
Prabhsimran rose to prominence with a scintillating hundred
The flamboyant batter found his rhythm and scored a scintillating century to keep PBKS’ playoff hopes alive and knock their rivals Delhi Capitals (DC) out of the tournament. While the rest of the batters struggled to score, Prabhsimran amassed 103 runs off just 65 balls including 10 fours and 6 sixes to steer his team to a 31-run victory. This riveting knock catapulted the youngster into the limelight and proved himself to be a player to watch out for in the future.
He finished IPL 2023 as the second-highest scorer for the franchise with 358 runs from 14 innings. In the 2024 edition, Prabhsimran was demoted to the third position but continued to display his remarkable skills. He was tasked with scoring at an aggressive rate.
In the 17th match against GT, the Punjab franchise had a mammoth total to hunt down and they suffered an early setback with the loss of skipper Dhawan. However, Prabhsimran did not allow the GT bowlers to gain momentum as he kept the scoreboard ticking with frequent boundaries. He was eventually dismissed in the eight over but ensured his team was in the hunt, scoring 35 off 24 balls, a knock that included five fours and a maximum.
Prabhsimran – A promise that India’s future is in safe hands
Prabhsimran is not the only member of his family associated with this beautiful sport. His cousin brother Anmolpreet Singh is a well-known Punjab Ranji cricketer. Anmolpreet’s younger brother Tejpreet Singh also plays for the Punjab U-23 team. Prabhsimran, who started taking cricket seriously at the tender age of 8, announced his arrival in India’s premier red-ball tournament, the Ranji Trophy, by scoring a hundred on his debut.
The rising star of Indian cricket has presented himself for the U-19 selection with an impressive portfolio, scoring a truckload of runs for his state in various age groups. He was selected for the ACC U-19 Asia Cup after his magnificent 298 in the Punjab U-23 district tournament for Patiala. Now he has set his sights on making his debut in the national team, a journey that had already begun in 2019 when PBKS picked him up.