For the uninitiated, every domestic franchise league has a certain number of marquee players who lend star power to the state association’s brainchild. The auction is conducted in such a way that each team receives at least one bigwig, ensuring not only better learning opportunities for youngsters but also a significant degree of fandom. In Sher-e-Punjab, Abhishek Sharma, the youngest Indian to achieve the number one T20I ranking, and Naman Dhir grace the line-up of Amritsar Soormas. It was, hence, par for the course that expectations hung in the air. They delivered the goods, scoring 77 and 47 respectively to set a target of 259 for Mohali Kings.
While the usual suspects came to the fore, the primary objective of these brainchilds was duly accomplished in the tournament opener. Talent lying in the shadows of the sparkle emerged, some of it brand new and other that has been dormant in recent times, like Anmolpreet Singh. A key member of the Indian squad that reached the 2016 U19 World Cup final, the right-handed dasher earned an IPL contract in 2019 with Mumbai Indians. His best effort in the league transpired for Sunrisers Hyderabad, an electric 36 with seven boundaries in there. The quality of his batsmanship found a fan in Ajit Agarkar, who went on to chair the BCCI Selection Committee. Although as Prabhsimran Singh, his cousin brother with whom he shared childhood in a joint family in Patiala, grew in stature Anmolpreet faded into the oblivion.
Nowadays IPL performances dictate a player’s popularity, by and large, so evanescence from the theatre of dreams meant Anmolpreet fell out of public consciousness rather rapidly even as performances in the ladder events remained impressive. In Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023-24 he formed a destructive opening combination with Abhishek; both ending up in the top five on the leaderboard en route to a glorious campaign. His List A average of 44.59 after 60 innings does not register as a surprise at all, for his textbook approach lends itself to the 50-over format. The accomplishments aside, Anmolpreet knows a bumper season in Sher-e-Punjab could be his ticket to regaining relevance.
He cruised to 40 off 13 balls, making his bosom buddy Abhishek eat humble pie in the process as he took the marquee signing bit too far by opening the bowling. An exhibition of his range followed as a ball outside the off-stump was ramp-flicked for six. At a juncture when the BCCI has sought feedback from IPL franchises on the bone of contention that is the Impact Player rule, Anmolpreet made for an apposite case study of how much the complexion of the game can change due to an extra batter. His personal fifty approaching, Mohali Kings required 171 from 78 balls.
The equation eased out further thanks to Mayank Markande’s lousy bowling. His full toss disappeared downtown whereas a short and wide freebie was helped along covers. A couple of delicate late cuts from skipper Ramandeep Singh preceded Anmolpreet’s prance into the seventies with an exquisite drive. Albeit he showed a more bombastic version of himself immediately thereafter to avoid typecasting tendencies; his almighty swipe across the line leaving the Amritsar Soormas flicking sweat beads off their foreheads. “He is a big match player,’’ leg-spinner Tejpreet Singh spoke of Anmolpreet’s temperament. “We were up against a huge total, but within our camp there was complete faith in his ability to perform. He won us the game single-handedly,” Tejpreet added, waxing lyrical about a knock that needed a special catch on the rope to meet its fate.
The killer partnership worth 151 off 70 between Ramandeep and Anmolpreet was a defining factor in Mohali Kings’ win, but surely not the whole and sole. Earlier in the act, Tejpreet produced a leg-spin masterclass to bag 3/38 in a fixture that saw an aggregate of 520 runs. His introduction led to an eventful phase of play when multiple chances were created but a select few materialized. He kept tossing the ball up irrespective of the parried six, with fortune favouring the brave to deny Naman a well-deserved half-century. Wrist spinners aren’t a lot known for rigor, but early impressions of Tejpreet point towards immaculate landing control. There wasn’t a single loose delivery in his quota, which cannot be said of Mayank.
“The pitch was quite flat and I figured out I’ll have to bowl slower in the air. Captain Ramandeep also urged me to maintain an attacking mindset as a leg-spinner. I’m grateful that I was among the wickets,” Tejpreet reflected. “Before every match, I do five overs of spot bowling without fail. The secret sauce is practice coupled with your attitude on the field.”
Tejpreet’s blows were invariably down to leading edges, so the grip and bite when he floated the ball up above the eyeline indicates that spin could hold sway in Sher-e-Punjab moving forward, especially since all the matches are scheduled at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. As pitches undergo wear and tear, a correction in the initial trend of lofty scores is presumed, rendering the contest between bat and ball even. To put things into perspective, chasing sides have triumphed in the first two encounters banking on an ebullient hundred apiece.
A late twist in the tale had nearly arrived, if not for a faux pas at long-off that irked part-timer Naman, whose 28-ball 62* in front of Lucknow Super Giants won hearts. Mumbai Indians utilized the right-to-match feature to draw him back into the fold ahead of the 2025 edition, and the move worked like a charm as the technically sound middle-order bat accrued 318 runs. His compatriot Prabhsimran developed a happy habit of breaching fifty in IPL 2026, and would be chuffed to see his brethren realizing their potential given Tejpreet has blood relations with Anmolpreet. The upcoming weekend will witness the clash of the loved ones; basically ample time to appreciate and revel in the bonhomie before the needle of competition tugs at the fabric of familial intimacy.
