During IPL 2020, Sachin Tendulkar had posted a video on Twitter praising Prabhsirman Singh’s batting. In the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Prabhsimran Singh had scored only 11 runs but a couple of fours had caught Tendulkar’s attention.
“Prabhsimran is one to watch out for. His backlift and bat swing is free flowing. When the ball hits his bat, and the sound it creates is quite amazing,” went Tendulkar’s tweet.
There has never been a doubt about Prabhsimran Singh’s talent. There was a reason why in 2018, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore were involved in a fierce bidding war for the then 18-year-old. Prabhsimran ended up being a teen crorepati when he was picked for Rs 4.8 crores by the Punjab franchise. But, until this year, Prabhsimran played only six games for the Punjab outfit.
On Saturday evening, he scored a terrific hundred in a winning cause. Prabhsimran Singh’s knock was a quintessential one-man show for Punjab; his 65-ball 103 included ten fours and six sixes. Before this match, he had scored one fifty, and a couple of forties.
On the eve of the match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Prabhsimran spoke to this reporter how frustrated he is with his “hot and cold” show.
“This franchise has done a lot for me. Had shown a great amount of faith in me. This year, I have played all the matches, I need to end this season on a high,” he told The Indian Express on the sidelines of the Punjab Kings net session. He walked the talk on Saturday evening.
Sachin’s advice
Last year when the IPL was held in Mumbai, Prabhsimran had shared with Tendulkar his frustration about not getting games. Tendulkar’s words of wisdom calmed him down.
“It was frustrating. I was not getting the chance due to the team combinations, but I wanted to play. We had a match against Mumbai Indians and I went straight to Sachin sir. I told him ‘sir, I am getting restless, and the frustration is creeping up”.
“He placed his arm on my shoulder and told me ‘You are here because you have worked hard. Think about them who are still toiling hard in domestic cricket, and are not picked by any team. Enjoy this phase. Train hard, and practice as per the match situation. Improve your game and it is not necessary that you will do well whenever you get a chance, but you will have that satisfaction. As an athlete, our job is to keep working hard and leave the rest to destiny.”
Tendulkar’s advice propelled the youngster. In the last one year, Prabhsimran started to perform. He found his consistency. He had an excellent Syed Mushtaq Ali, where he scored 320 runs, including four fifty-plus scores, and at a healthy strike rate of 141.59. He carried his performance in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 571 runs at an average of 63.37, including two hundreds.
Bairstow’s injury and Dhawan’s guidance
Jonny Bairstow’s injury came as a blessing as he got the chance to open for Punjab Kings. On the first day of their camp in Mohali, Shikhar Dhawan called Prabhsimran and assured him that no matter what, he will play the matches for Punjab.
“Bairstow was not there. Shikhar paji told me that I will get more matches. This was my fifth season with the team and I had played only a handful of games. His words boosted my confidence,” he said.
Prabhsimran says Dhawan told him: “We will back you throughout the tournament; you just have to play your natural game, don’t worry about the results.”
Dhawan not only gave Prabhsimran security but also took him under his wings. He ensured that the duo always trained together.
“We bat in the same nets. He will watch me if I am batting and I will do the same. He tells me where I am doing wrong,” he says. After a good start to the season, Prabhsimran had a string of poor scores, and was warned by his skipper.
“Shikhar paji warned me and said, ‘Talent akela kaafi nahi hota Prabh (Talent is not enough in cricket). You should show more consistency,'” shared Prabhsimran Singh.
Yuvraj’s rant
Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh is another backer of his talent, but would also exhort him not waste it.
When he wasn’t converting his starts in the beginning of this season, Prabhsimran received a call from Yuvraj Singh. The advice from the former India all-rounder was to “don’t throw your wicket away.” It was a simple message, but Prabhsimran understood what Yuvraj meant.
“I was throwing away my starts. Yuvi paji told me that I need to do a little mental adjustment. If I faced three four dots, I used to try and go for a glory shot. In those situations, he told me instead of going for big hits, just rotate the strike,” he told me.
Prabhsimran has another admirer in Anil Kumble, who was also the coach of Punjab Kings till last season and who rates Prabhsimran highly.
“Prabhsimran is a unique talent. I have seen him from the close yards, he is one of the cleanest hitters of the ball in the domestic circuit and it is good to see him doing well in the IPL,” Kumble has said on Jio Cinema after Prabhsimran’s maiden IPL fifty earlier this season.
Prabhsimran’s biggest strength as Punjab Kings batting coach Wasim Jaffer pointed out is that he is a ‘see the ball, hit the ball’ sort of a player. Jaffer said: “There are very few youngsters in our country, who can be as destructive as Prabhsimran when he gets going. He is a modern-day batsman who takes the pitch, condition and the bowlers out of the equation once he gets his eye in.”
Before donning his helmet to hit the nets on the eve of the match, Prabhsimran said: “I have tasted more failures than successes with this approach (of batting), but I am not going to change my style.”
Punjab Kings batter Prabhsimran Singh celebrates his century during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Saturday, May 13, 2023. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) 
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