Mandeep Singh, the "Rising star of the IPL 2012" presents good hope for Indian cricket. The IPL may have brought him the limelight, but his real success lies in his consistency in age group cricket and the domestic level. Nishad Pai Vaidya profiles this promising 20 year-old.
Published: May 28, 2012, 01:13 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2014, 12:39 PM (IST)
Mandeep Singh finished as the tenth highest run-getter in IPL 2012 © AFP
Mandeep Singh, the “Rising star of the IPL 2012” presents good hope for Indian cricket. The IPL may have brought him the limelight, but his real success lies in his consistency in age group cricket and the domestic level.
Nishad Pai Vaidya profiles this promising 20 year-old.
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Mandeep Singh, the rising star of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2012, is a bright prospect for Indian cricket. During a spirited campaign, Kings XI Punjab unearthed numerous domestic talents such as Parwinder Awana, Nitin Saini and Gurkeerat Singh who used a bigger platform to make an impression. However, Mandeep was a cut above the rest with consistent performances with the bat that played a pivotal role in the absence of their captain Adam Gilchrist. The IPL may have got him the limelight, but he has been prolific at the domestic level and deserves to be groomed well for an international career.
The most impressive thing about Mandeep was that he continued to play his natural game despite finding himself in a new role. Gilchrist’s injury and Paul Valthaty’s poor form created a hole in the Punjab top order and they were looking for a strong replacement. Mandeep is a top order batsman, but opening is a different ball-game all-together. He was promoted to open the batting when Punjab played Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. Since then he has established himself there and would be Punjab’s preferred man for the job next season.
The T20 format may be a batsman friendly format, but it can baffle and confuse the youngsters. Some may try to be over-aggressive, attempt rash shots, try something unconventional and in the process lose their wicket. However, Mandeep didn’t panic and played copybook strokes. A striking feature of his batting was that he maintained a balanced position while executing a stroke – the head was very still at the point of contact. The bat comes down straight and even when he plays the horizontal strokes, there is some class about him. Let us have a look at his record in IPL 2012:
|
M |
Runs |
Avg |
Strike-rate |
50s |
Highest |
|
16 |
432 |
27.00 |
126.31 |
2 |
75 |
Mandeep finished as the tenth highest run-getter in the competition. At the end of the league stage, his position was higher as Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina overtook his tally during the play-offs. His knock of 75 against Deccan Chargers highlighted his class as he maintained an aggressive approach while anchoring the innings. The other crucial knock he played during the tournament was against Chennai Super Kings at their home ground. It was a patient knock as he battled the tough conditions and helped Punjab to a competitive total – one they defended successfully.
While we laud Mandeep’s feats in the IPL, the fact remains that he displayed promise and consistency in age-group cricket and at the domestic level. He first made a name for himself in the Polly Umrigar Trophy 2005-06 – an domestic under-15 competition. While playing for Punjab he stroked two hundreds in the campaign. In the same tournament the next year, Mandeep struck gold as he smashed four hundreds and three half centuries. That performance earned him a berth in the Punjab under-17 team for the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2007-08.
If his exploits at under-15 level weren’t enough, Mandeep cracked five hundreds in the Vijay Merchant Trophy that year. His transition to the under-19 level during the next season wasn’t smooth but he found his feet as the time progressed. In April 2009, he was called-up for India under-19’s tour to Australia- during which he showed tremendous promise with a few thunderous knocks. As a result, he was appointed the vice-captain for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2010. In 12 under-19 limited-overs games for India, Mandeep scored 397 runs at an average of 56.71 with a hundred and two fifties to his credit.
Mandeep made his First-Class debut in November 2010 for Punjab and has been a rollicking success in his first two years. In his maiden season he scored 482 runs at an average of 53.55 in six games, with two centuries and two fifties to his credit. The Indian selectors took note of this performance and included in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy 2011. As the other batsmen made merry, he didn’t get much of a bat but still managed to score a brisk 60 in the first innings. His returns during the 2011-12 season were even better as he amassed 592 runs (one century and five fifties) at an average of 74 in seven games.
With Rahul Dravid hanging his boots and the other seniors nearing their fateful days, the race for spots in the Indian Test team is heating up. For now, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary are the main contenders. Robin Bist is another player who is a dark horse in the race. However, Mandeep’s performances cannot be ignored and another good season in domestic cricket may open the floodgates for him.
As Mandeep said after collecting his trophy after the IPL final, his dream is to play for India for at least ten years. If his dreams come true, Indian cricket would have a new star.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a club-level cricketer with an analytic mind and a sharp eye. It was this sharpness which spotted a wrong replay in IPL4 resulting in Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal. Some of his analytical pieces have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. Nishad can also be followed on Twitter)
