Watching Vaibhav is fun, says Prabhsimran

Prabhsimran Singh, buoyed by strong IPL and domestic performances, is eyeing his India debut against Zimbabwe. He credits Yuvraj Singh and Ricky Ponting for mentoring him, highlights healthy competition for the opener’s slot, and stresses his improved consistency with Punjab Kings.

Hyderabad: Prabhsimran Singh, on the back of consecutive 500-plus run seasons in the TATA IPL and consistent form through domestic cricket and India A tours, will be hoping to make his debut against Zimbabwe.

Speaking to JioStar, Prabhsimran reflected on working with Yuvraj Singh and Ricky Ponting over the last two years, the competition for places in the Indian side, particularly as an opener, and his experience of batting alongside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

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“When you start playing cricket, there are two main objectives in your mind, and even in your parents’ minds, to represent the country and to play in the IPL. I am playing in the IPL, but now I’ve gotten this opportunity to represent the country. I got it earlier as well during the Asian Games, but unfortunately, I couldn’t play. Now, my only wish is that I return as a capped player this time around and, obviously, perform well there so that I get more opportunities,” the Kings XI opener said.

On the competition for places and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran said: “The IPL is such a big platform where you rub shoulders with international players from all around the world, youngsters from across the country, established players representing India, and even legends who are playing alongside you. So, obviously, it is a bit tough.”

“But if you look at it, it’s healthy competition. There is so much competition just for the opening spot in the Indian team, and the only thing that comes to mind is, ‘Just give me an opportunity, and if I get the chance, hopefully I’ll do well.’ Recently, we went to play the India A series against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, and Vaibhav was
there with me too. Watching him bat is so much fun, it brings a lot of joy. Since we were opening together, we got to spend more time together and discuss various things. It was a great experience,” he explained.

On Yuvraj Singh and Ricky Ponting, the explosive opener said: “Both of them have played a massive role in my life, especially in my cricketing career. They are similar kinds of coaches. Yuvraj SinghPaaji is my mentor, and Ricky Ponting is our coach at Punjab Kings. Both share a similar mindset of practising hard and giving your 100
percent. They understand that you won’t get the desired result in every match, but your processes should not change, and you should know what you need to work on.”

“At the same time, both give you so much freedom that you can back your natural game. That is extremely important, especially for a young player, to have that support behind them and be able to play their
natural game. T20 cricket has become so fast-paced now that you have to play high-risk cricket. But when you have that backing, you end up performing well. So, I feel both Ricky Ponting and Yuvraj Paaji have
played a major role in this,” he said.

On his improved consistency over the last two TATA IPL seasons, Prabhsimran said: “It has been eight years with the Punjab franchise now. For the first four years, I didn’t get many chances to play. But when I did get opportunities, I did well. Still, back then, the mindset was just about giving the team a good start, playing high-risk cricket with a good strike rate.”

“That team-first attitude was always there, but I felt that I needed to be a lot more consistent. Earlier, I used to get out after scoring 25 or 30. But I have put in a lot of work over the last two years to improve that, and the discussions with Yuvi Paaji and Ponting helped a lot. Over the last two years, my mindset has been that if I score 25 or 30, I should try and play through the innings and ensure that when my team wins, I have a bigger role in it than just giving a fast start,” he said.