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Follow UsGurjapneet Singh is a pretty bold cricketer.
At 17, after he was repeatedly ignored in Punjab’s age-group levels, the left-arm pacer made a life-changing decision to move to Tamil Nadu. Moving to Chennai is a big move for a 17-year-old born and raised in Ambala, considering the linguistic and cultural differences.
In more ways than one, the two cultures are very different. While in Punjab the pacers get a fair share of opportunities to be in the limelight, Chennai's dying pitches and conditions often become a den for brewing left-arm spinners.
But that’s where Gurjapneet’s skillset as a pacer stood out amidst the competition.
Sharpening his skills, starting with his time at Guru Nanak College, where he turned up to be a net bowler for Vijay CC, to becoming one of the most sought-after names at the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) auction by several franchises, Gurjapneet has proved himself year after year.
“Chennai is perfect for young cricketers who don’t have a lot of support. Chennai cricket has that professionalism, every team has that coach, physio and training facilities for a young cricketer,” Gurjapneet had told IBC Sports.
“They will guide you from scratch; that’s something missing in other states. As compared to other cities and states, Tamil Nadu is a very good place to start as a cricketer,” he added.
The left-arm pacer made his TNPL debut in 2021, and nine games into the season, despite just picking up seven wickets, Gurjapneet left quite a good impression on the selectors.
What separated him from the competition was a combination of factors.
He was a left-arm pacer, something that the state had yearned for a long time since Natarajan’s injuries started flaring up. He had that bit of pace about him that the state had not seen consistently for some time, and more importantly, Gurjapneet could bowl that hard length that made him immensely popular.
His talent caught fire in the state, and even Chennai Super Kings (CSK) quickly recruited the left-arm pacer as their net bowler for a few Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons.
When he moved to Siechem Madurai Panthers, the left-arm pacer breathed fire in the 2023 TNPL to finish the season with 15 wickets, averaging 14.1. He primarily bowled with the new ball and later got the variations out of his bag towards the death overs, which made him quite a stellar white-ball bowler.
“Gurjapneet Singh is also an excellent prospect; Madurai [Siechem] didn’t have a good season. But I have faith in him, and hopefully, he will be part of the Tamil Nadu setup because he has good talent,” Baba Indrajith, one of Tamil Nadu’s seasoned cricketers, told Cricket.com.
Indrajith’s wishes were fulfilled when the Tamil Nadu selectors picked the left-arm pacer for the 2024 Ranji Trophy season, all because of his ability to bowl those awkward lengths.
Even before he could make his TN debut, the left-arm pacer was already impressing the likes of Virat Kohli & Co. during his stint as a net bowler for the national team at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where India played the first Test against Bangladesh.
According to The Indian Express, Gurjapneet was so impressive during his stint that his ability to move the ball around even surprised Kohli. A few days and a few hundred miles away from Chennai, Gurjapneet had a similar effect on the visiting Saurashtra side on his Ranji Trophy debut.
After Saurashtra won the toss and opted to bat first, the left-arm seamer was quite impressive in the first dig but without any wickets to support his cause. But cometh the second innings, cometh Gurjapneet: he single-handedly blew away a star-studded Saurashtra set-up.
The left-arm seamer exploited perfect overcast conditions at the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground (SNR) to decimate Saurashtra, starting with Chirag Jani’s wicket. But the big scalp of Cheteshwar Pujara could really get the country talking about Gurjapneet, who set up the veteran batter in the most disdain of fashions.
First, the left-arm pacer kept pushing Pujara to his backfoot before bowling an in-swinger, catching the veteran right in front of the wickets and delivering a body blow to Saurashtra’s hopes of holding on. In fact, Kohli's advice triggered Gurjapneet to use the angles to his advantage.
“He told me, when there is no movement, change the angle and try bowling around the wicket. Because with that angle, even if you manage to get slight movement, it will end up troubling most batsmen,” Gurjapneet told The Indian Express.
Before the third day could end, Gurjapneet ensured that he sent shivers down the spine of the opposing dressing room with four wickets, reducing the behemoths to 14/4. Once play resumed on day four, it was just a matter of time before the left-arm pacer scalped Arpit Vasavada and Dharmendasinh Jadeja to finish with figures of 6/22.
If you are wondering, it is the SECOND-BEST FIGURES EVER for a Tamil Nadu pacer since 2010, ending the state’s long-lasting search for a quality pacer.
For Gurjapneet, the journey has just begun. There’s an excellent chance that he could sell out matches in Chennai just like his idol, Diljit Dosanjh.
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