Mandeep Singh: 10 things you need to know about him

On Monday, Mandeep Singh was selected in Indian limited-overs squad for the tour of Zimbabwe. This tour could well be Mandeep’s claim to fame if he plays to his potential when given an opportunity. The talented batsman from Punjab has been knocking on Team India’s doors for a while now and he would be expectedly elated to get this opportunity. Mandeep would want to do justice to his selection by playing some match defining knocks in the upcoming series.

Indian cricket fans have seen Mandeep Singh playing crucial knocks for Punjab time and again in Ranji Trophy. He has also done admirably for his franchises in the IPL. Mandeep, a fabulous fielder, has been electric on the field and impressed one and all with his energy.

Here we discuss a few interesting facts that you would want to know about Mandeep Singh:

1. Mandeep Singh was born on the 18 of December 1991 in Jalandhar, Punjab. He represents Punjab in the domestic tournaments.
2. Mandeep Singh’s father who is an athletics coach initially opposed his son’s decision to pursue cricket as a career. He later supported his son whole-heartedly when he saw his son’s passion for the game and a strong potential in him to become a solid batsman.
3. Mandeep made his first-class debut on November 17, 2010, against Himachal Pradesh. He has since then batted in the middle order for Punjab and has scored 2,445 runs at an impressive batting average of 48.90 with 6 first class hundreds and 12 fifties. Time and again he has bailed Punjab out of precarious situations with his measured batting.
4. Mandeep made his List A debut in the same season when Punjab took on Haryana on 10 February 2010. Many cricket experts feel that his game is better suited for the shorter formats of cricket. He is an aggressive batsman who can bat at any position for his team. He is more of a boundary hitter but also has the capability to smack the big ones when the need arises.
5. He was one of the rising stars in the Under 19 Cricket World Cup, 2010 that was held in New Zealand. He was the vice-captain of the side and caught the eye of many thanks to his fearless strokeplay. He was amongst the top run-getters for India in the mega-event.
6. He won an IPL contract in 2010 from Kolkata Knight Riders but couldn’t grab his spot in the eleven after failing to do much in the limited chances he got that season playing for KKR.
7. Mandeep was ‘back home’ in Punjab for the IPL season in 2011 after Kings XI Punjab decided to include him in their squad. He couldn’t do much that season but turned it around in 2012 where he burst onto the scene scoring big runs for the Punjab Franchise.
8. The swashbuckling batsman won the “Rising Star of IPL” award in 2012 after he amassed 432 runs for Punjab that season. He impressed one and all with his ability to smack the ball hard and his ability to clear the infield earned him accolades all around. He was also agile in the field and saved a lot of runs for his team.
9. His IPL brilliance earned him a spot in the 30-probable list that was announced on July 18, 2012, for the ICC World T20 tournament which was to be held in Sri Lanka in September 2012. Unfortunately, he could not find a place in final 15 member team for the World Cup.
10. He joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2015 and has been part of the RCB set up ever since. He played some crucial innings for the Bangalore franchise and has blossomed into a dependable batsman under the tutelage of batting greats like AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. He would love to make a mark in the upcoming Zimbabwe series and cement a spot for himself in the limited overs team.