Former India opener Deep Dasgupta reckons there is not much hype around Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Prabhsimran Singh as it should be. Following Prabhsimran and Priyansh Arya's record-breaking powerplay blitz in the record-breaking run chase, Dasgupta feels that people need to talk about the PBKS wicketkeeper-batter. He also called him a very 'safe keeper'.
"We don't speak enough about this guy. If you think about the season he's had the last time around. Well, on the back of that, he played for India A as well. I mean, credit to the selectors, at least somebody is watching. And even this year, the kind of run that he's had with the bat and also a very safe keeper. He might not be the best going around, but a very safe keeper behind. We don't actually talk enough about him, as an opener, but he's made a huge difference," Dasgupta said on ESPNCricinfo's TimeOut show.
Prabhsimran has already scored 287 runs from six innings at an average of 57.40 and strike rate of 192.61. He has three fifties in the season.
He got his maiden India call-up for the Asian Games 2023 but did not make his debut. However, he has been He was also picked for ACC Men's T20 Emerging Asia Cup 2024.
Carnage in powerplay overs
In the run chase of 266 against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 25, Prabhsimran and Priyansh went berserk. Two tough chances were put down but they amassed 116 runs in the first six overs, the highest in powerplay overs in Indian Premier League (IPL) history.
There were two huge overs as Auqib Nabi was hit for four sixes in the fourth over and Mukesh Kumar conceded six boundaries off the sixth over. Prabhsimran reached his fifty from just 18 balls. He scored 71 runs from 23 balls in the powerplay overs itself. DC missed the services of Lungi Ngidi who suffered an injury in an attempt to take Priyansh's catch in the third over. T Natarajan turned out to be the only bowler who concede less than 10 runs in the powerplay overs.
PBKS' monstrous run chase
The two openers shared a 126-run partnership from just 41 deliveries. Prabhsimran fell for a 26-ball 76 to Kuldeep Yadav. His knock was studded with nine fours and five sixes. He became only the third batter after Ajinkya Rahane and Prithvi Shaw to hit six fours in an over. Riding high on a record-breaking powerplay overs display and several dropped catches, PBKS chased down 266 with six wicket sin hand and seven balls to spare.
PBKS continued their unbeaten run in the tournament. They are placed at the top of the points table with six wins in a row.