CHENNAI: When opening batter Prabhsimran Singh last set foot at Chepauk, he tormented hosts Chennai Super Kings with a sparkling half-century for Punjab Kings in an IPL contest earlier this year. That knock helped him etch his name in the IPL record books as the highest run-getter among all the uncapped players. As the dust settled, the wicketkeeper-batter continued to own the record and finished eighth in the season’s run-scoring chart. In 17 matches, Prabhsimran amassed 549 runs with four half-centuries, a highest score of 91, and a healthy strike-rate of 160.53. His numbers caught the eye even as Punjab fell agonisingly short in the final. Now back at Chepauk with the Punjab domestic side to prepare for the Buchi Babu tournament, Prabhsimran stressed on the word “clarity” as he explained what shaped his standout IPL season. “The IPL went very well, but we had hoped to win the title. We will try to do better next year and go the distance. I feel most of the credit goes to Ricky Ponting (Punjab Kings head coach)…He gave me clarity. “Ahead of the season, when a youngster has that clarity, he can focus completely on enhancing his game. He gave us freedom and assurance that we would be playing all the matches. Both our captain (Shreyas Iyer) and coach (Ponting) gave us that clarity. And, when you know you’ll be playing all the matches, you help the team produce a better performance,” said Prabhsimran after a net session at MAC ‘B’ here on Sunday. The 25-year-old hard-hitter, whose breakthrough IPL season came in 2023, was one of only two players retained by PBKS ahead of the last season. Prabhsimran believes that taking more responsibility helped him deliver the results. “This year I tried to take up more responsibility and I got the results. And I also felt my consistency was better. In previous years, sometimes I would be playing well, but sometimes I would get out in 30s. I had worked a lot on that.” Even as Prabhsimran basks in IPL acclaim, the youngster remains grounded with his eyes fixed on the bigger prize: representing India. “When every player starts playing cricket, it’s his dream to play for India. For now, I’m just waiting. I don’t think a lot about all that, I’m just focusing on my game and if I continue to do well, God will give me an opportunity soon.”
