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Had Jonny Bairstow looked over his shoulder when he strode onto the pitch at the Eden Gardens on 26 April, he would have spotted a cacophonous Colosseum of purple and gold. The crowd, supporting Kolkata Knight Riders, and still revelling in what they saw over the last couple of hours – the home team scoring 261 runs – could care very little about what Punjab Kings had up their sleeve.
In a couple of hours, Bairstow would celebrate his second Indian Premier League (IPL) century, guiding Punjab to the highest successful chase in the competition’s history. He eventually ended up with 108 runs in 48 deliveries, but interestingly, 96 of those runs came in the last 38 deliveries.
Barely had Prabhsimran stepped into adulthood when he found himself a contract worth Rs 4.80 crore. At the IPL 2019 auction, the wicketkeeper-batter sparked a three-pronged battle of bids between Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He was yet to make his senior debut for Punjab, but his potential had already captured the attention of franchises far and wide, having scored 298 runs in a U-23 inter-district tournament recently. The Kings found it justifiable to spend big on whom they then regarded as a teen prodigy.
But soon, Prabhsimran would realise a lucrative contract does not necessarily translate to opportunities aplenty. Despite the initial hype, Prabhsimran found himself on the sidelines for much of the 2019 season, featuring in only a solitary match before being released, only to be signed by Punjab again. This, however, for a much-depreciated price of Rs 55 lakh.
The 23-year-old, however, was not perturbed by the zeroes on his contract, as he tells The Quint:
Albeit he has been representing the Kings since 2019, Prabhsimran considers 2023 to be his breakout season, for in the first four editions, he got a combined six opportunities.
Not only is Prabhsimran Punjab’s second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2024 currently, with 208 runs in nine matches, but he has among the higher strike rates, having accumulated those runs at a strike rate of 163.78.
Despite his explosive numbers, however, Prabhsimran insists that the team hasn't thrust upon him an ultra-aggressive role.
Talking about strike rate, Prabhsimran references his maiden, and to date, solitary IPL century. In a match against Delhi Capitals last season, he had scored only 53 runs in the first 44 deliveries, before accumulating 50 in the next 21.
In his first four seasons for the Punjab Kings, Prabhsimran played under four captains – Ravichandran Ashwin, Glenn Maxwell, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. It was only after Shikhar Dhawan was made the captain in 2023 that he found a stable foothold in the team.
Speaking about the veteran batter’s qualities, Prabhsimran says:
Shikhar Dhawan is not the sole left-handed Indian great who has had a significant influence on Prabhsimran’s development over the last year. Prior to the 2023 season, he trained with Yuvraj Singh – be it for only a month, but he considers it to be a life-changing transformation.
Another Yuvraj Singh protégé – Abhishek Sharma – who also is Prabhsimran’s opening partner in the Punjab team, has also been in sublime form in IPL 2024. The Patiala-based player feels success in the domestic circuit is propelling Punjab’s players into impressive performances, as he cherishes Abhishek’s growth.
From the Indian squad that Prabhsimran was a part of at the 2018 Emerging Asia Cup, the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prasidh Krishna became familiar names in the senior team. From the Indian squad that he was a part of at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, the likes of Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube now regularly feature in blue.
Prabhsimran has his sight fixed on the ascent, and once he reaches the pinnacle, he does not want to descend ever again.
He concludes by saying:
Who is the funniest member of the team?
Arshdeep Singh, because he can mix with everyone.
Who is the team DJ?
Arsh, again. He always carries his speaker with him.
Who is always late to meetings?
Everyone comes on time, but among the lot, Arsh comes at the last.
Which Punjab Kings bowler would you pick to bowl a Super Over?
Arsh, because he is a great bowler and also a death-overs specialist.
And who would be your batting partner in a Super Over?
Liam Livingstone.
Who’s the biggest foodie in Punjab Kings?
Kagiso Rabada. He loves Indian food.
Who’s the best dancer?
Harpreet Bhatia.
Who sleeps the most?
Vishwa Pratap Singh, our very own VP. He is from Punjab too.
Who’s the biggest gyaani in the team?
None. No one gives gyaan, saare apne mast rahte hain (everyone’s pretty chill).
Describe captain Shikhar Dhawan in one word.
In one word – everything.
Who’s your best friend in the team?
There are plenty. If you want me to name a few, then Arsh and Harpreet Brar. But there are others as well.
Your biggest inspiration?
I have always been inspired by Virender Sehwag, I’ve been a fan of him since childhood. If I get an opportunity, I would love to speak with him.
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
Scoring a century in the IPL.
Which record would you like to break?
All records are made to be broken, I would love to break any of them. But I want to start with me. I scored one century last season, I want to score more this year.
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