IPL 2026: Amid Sooryavanshi and Arya noise, Prabhsimran Singh is quietly 'raising the bar'

NEW DELHI: On Thursday evening, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer hailed Prabhsimran Singh for "raising his bar". The 26-year-old lit up the Wankhede Stadium with his exquisite strokeplay, slamming an unbeaten 39-ball 80 against the Mumbai Indians to instrumentality Punjab Kings home.

With this victory, Punjab Kings beryllium apical of the IPL 2026 points table.Amid each the sound astir teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and six-hitting prowess of Priyansh Arya, who is besides Prabhsimran's opening partner, the Patiala-born batter is softly doing his occupation -- 1 sound astatine a time. Prabhsimran played a pivotal relation successful the Punjab Kings reaching the finals past season, scoring 549 runs astatine a onslaught complaint of 160.53."I deliberation helium has surely raised his bar, considering past play wherever helium was going successful the powerfulness play, conscionable swinging wild. Even though getting runs, helium was giving america fantabulous starts. But this clip I consciousness that he's got that maturity to decorativeness disconnected the game," Iyer said successful the post-match presentation, showering praise connected Prabhsimran."And it's large to spot youngsters coming up and finishing disconnected the games, taking the work and saying that, okay, I'm going to triumph the lucifer for the team.

So phenomenal player, talent, and different than that, I consciousness that the much matches he's getting, he's really getting (more) mature," helium added.The 25-year-old has been portion of Punjab Kings, earlier Kings XI Punjab, since 2019, erstwhile the Mohali-based franchise splurged Rs 4.8 crore connected the youngster.In the archetypal years, the youngster did not get galore chances. In the archetypal six years, helium played lone 9 games. It was from IPL 2023 that helium started playing regularly.

In IPL 2023 and 2024, helium scored 358 runs and 334 runs respectively, but consistency was an issue.Before IPL 2025, Ricky Ponting called Prabhsimran Singh, gave him confidence, and besides assigned him a task."The task was to enactment connected his chopped and propulsion shots. Our academy timings are from 3:30 PM, but Prabhsimran utilized to travel astatine 1:30 PM, and during those six weeks earlier the IPL, helium worked truly hard connected his batting," Kamalpreet Sandhu, Prabhsimran's coach, told TimesofIndia.com.Last season's performances helped him get picked for the India A squad to look Australia A successful September. He capitalised connected the accidental by smashing 102 disconnected 68 balls successful the 3rd unofficial ODI, helping India A seal the bid 2-1.Ahead of IPL 2026, Ponting gave him different task, this clip to debar throwing distant his wicket successful the 30s and 40s."That had been his problem. He utilized to deed speedy cameos and past get out. Ponting advised him that since his crippled against rotation was good, helium could instrumentality an implicit oregon 2 aft the powerplay.

He told him that if helium stayed till the 16th oregon 17th over, his onslaught complaint would not dip. It was each astir confidence," said Kamalpreet Sandhu.In 5 matches this season, the 26-year-old has scored 211 runs astatine a onslaught complaint of 173, including 2 fifties. He presently sits successful the apical 5 starring run-scorers.A uncommon talentRight from a young age, Prabhsimran was known arsenic a hard-hitting batter successful Punjab. The Patiala-born was truthful talented that during an Under-14 lucifer astatine Dhruv Pandove Stadium, aft helium smashed a mates of sixes, the precocious D.

P. Azad, past president of the Punjab Cricket Association coaching committee, remarked that helium was excessively bully for U-14s and did not let him to proceed successful that tournament."In 2012, Azad sir selected 20 Under-14 kids from six districts. I was the manager of Patiala Under-14. The likes of Anmolpreet Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, and Mayank Markande were successful Patiala Under-14, whereas Shubman Gill and Nehal Wadhera were successful Mohali and Ludhiana, respectively."In 1 of the matches astatine Dhruv Pandove Stadium, Prabhsimran smashed 8 sixes successful the archetypal 3 overs. Azad sir refused to judge that the kid was lone 11 oregon 12. After 2 games, helium said that Prabhsimran was excessively bully for that level and that the different kids should not beryllium scared," Kamalpreet Sandhu said."I inactive retrieve DP Azad sir's words: 'Kamal, look aft this kid, helium is special.' He had earthy strength, beardown wrists, and deed the shot with immense power," said Kamalpreet Sandhu, who runs Cricket Hub Academy.Kamal said determination were a mates of moments that changed Prabhsimran arsenic an individual. The archetypal was being overlooked for the 2018 U-19 World Cup, which India won nether Prithvi Shaw. A dejected Prabhsimran vented his vexation by scoring 298 successful the Punjab inter-district U-23 tournament. He smashed 29 fours and 13 sixes during his 301-ball stay.That sound helped him garner the attraction of IPL scouts, and Punjab Kings splurged Rs 4.8 crore connected the youngster."DP Azad sir gave america Kapil Dev. One look astatine Prabhsimran was capable for him to cognize the lad was special. Then Ponting, implicit the past 16 months, has taken his cricket to the adjacent level," said Sandhu.The 2nd defining infinitesimal was erstwhile Ponting became the caput manager of the Punjab Kings. After the triumph against MI, the erstwhile Australia skipper said connected JioHotstar, "When players consciousness backed, similar idiosyncratic similar Prabhsimran oregon Shashank (Singh), they respond with performances, and that’s what yet drives results."More than a decennary ago, DP Azad spotted thing peculiar successful the right-hander which years aboriginal the erstwhile Australian skipper has taken to a antithetic level.Another accordant play astatine the apical volition support Prabhsimran Singh successful contention for an India call-up. With the Men successful Blue acceptable to play implicit 40 T20Is earlier the 2028 Summer Olympics, Prabhsimran volition situation the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya successful that contention because, on with his six-hitting prowess, helium has besides matured arsenic a cricketer.