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Australia legend Matthew Hayden heaped ultimate praise on Punjab Kings' star batter Prabhsimran Singh, who produced a match-winning knock against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 4. The right-handed Punjab Kings batter blazed his way to a brilliant innings of 91 runs off a mere 48 balls against Lucknow Super Giants.
Matthew Hayden draws parallel between Prabhsimran Singh and MS Dhoni
The 24-year-old's spectacular knock was laced with impressive seven sixes and six boundaries. Demonstrating exceptional footwork and a knack for creating angles to consistently find the fence, he played a instrumental role in guiding Punjab Kings to a colossal total of 236/5.Impressed by Prabhsimran's explosive innings, legendary batter Matthew Hayden couldn't stop himself from comparing the PBKS opener with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni. Matthew Hayden said that he observed glimpses of a young MS Dhoni from his 2010 form, a period when the former Indian captain was renowned for his sensational six-hitting prowess. Hayden, who previously played for CSK, specifically recalled Dhoni's remarkable unbeaten innings of 54 runs off just 29 balls against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2010, where he famously scored 16 runs in the final over bowled by Irfan Pathan.
"He (Prabhsimran) has got great power. Back in 2010, there was a young MS Dhoni who was launching balls in the last over of the day. Prabhsimran has got similar sort of attributes. He has wonderful bat speed, a solid base. He is not that tall, so he can really manoeuvre the ball into the gaps and he is fearless. You can see by the way he took on the deliveries against LSG. He was in complete control. He has forced the bowlers to make mistakes," Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports at the mid-innings break.
Prabhsimran Singh has been a force to reckon with his consistency in IPL 2025. He has amassed 437 runs in 11 matches so far for PBKS in the ongoing season. With three more matches remaining in the league stage of the tournament, he will be aiming to conclude the season on a strong note and take his team to the playoffs.
Reflecting on his approach to batting, Prabhsimran Singh shared his strategy of focusing on occupying the crease for extended periods rather than settling for quick cameos in the twenties and thirties. This indicates a conscious effort to build substantial innings and play a more anchoring role for Punjab Kings.
"I started well, I had a lot of confidence from my last innings. I got a chance early on and I was able to capitalise. There’s no strategy as such, I’m playing the ball on its merit. I want to thank the management as well for backing me. I felt I could take a bit of time after the powerplay. When you get set, when you have already scored 30–35, you need to convert it into something big. It’s good that at times Shreyas is doing it, at times I’m doing it, and at times, Priyansh is doing it," Prabhsimran said after the match.
PBKS, who are strongly placed at the second spot in the IPL 2025 points table with 7 wins, will next face Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 8 at the Dharamsala's HPCA stadium.
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