Meet Tamil Nadu’s Sikh Pacer: The Rising Star Who Dismissed Virat Kohli in Nets and Took a 6-Wicket Haul on Ranji Trophy Debut, including Cheteshwar Pujara

New Delhi: Gurjapneet Singh was the star of the show as Tamil Nadu cruised to a comprehensive innings and 70-run victory over Saurashtra in their opening Ranji season match. The 25-year-old fast bowler put on a blistering display on Monday morning, picking up crucial wickets of Arpit Vasavada and Dharmendra Jadeja to finish with outstanding figures of 6 wickets for just 21 runs in 14 overs. Singh's exceptional performance earned Tamil Nadu seven valuable points in the tournament.

“I am very happy that I got a six-wicket haul (six for 22) on debut. I didn’t get a wicket in the first innings, so my focus was to bowl the right lengths and areas, knowing wickets would come if I remained patient,” said Gurjapneet.

The 25-year-old Gurjapneet Singh, who has previously served as a net bowler for the five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings and recently bowled to the Indian Test squad before the Bangladesh series, showcased his adaptability on day three, adjusting his plans with impressive speed.

The highlight of Gurjapneet Singh’s six-wicket haul was dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara, trapping him leg-before. The lanky left-arm pacer took special pride in this dismissal. “After my first two overs, I switched to around the wicket and found some assistance, beating the edge a few times. Then I mixed in a few bouncers before delivering a fuller one that straightened slightly,” he explained.

For Gurjapneet Singh, representing Tamil Nadu is the realization of a journey that started seven years ago when he left Ambala, Haryana, and relocated to Chennai to chase his cricketing dreams.

“I was not getting chances back home, so my coach (Anil Mashi) advised me to go to Chennai in 2017-18 because of the professional league structure. I played college cricket and got to play in the TNCA third division for Egmore RC,” added Gurjapneet, who completed his B.A. and M.A. from Guru Nanak College.

Bowling in the college nets, the training ground for India Cements’ league teams, led to Gurjapneet Singh’s TNPL debut with Dindigul Dragons in 2021. However, a lower back injury sidelined him for a year. He made a strong comeback in 2023, steadily building his workload in league cricket. His impressive performances in the Buchi Babu tournament earlier this year, where he delivered long spells, earned him his first call-up to the Ranji team.

Gurjapneet acknowledges that this is just the beginning of a long journey, stating, “Right now, I don’t swing the ball into the right-hander much, and that is something I am working on, trying to build my muscle memory.”

For now, Tamil Nadu is pleased that Gurjapneet made the decision to join, but as the saying goes, “well begun is half done.”