Exclusive with Prabhsimran Singh: “My goal for the IPL 2024 is to rank among the top five run scorers”

Prabsimran Singh of the Punjab Kings is taking on new challenges with clarity as he moves from opening to batting at No. 3. The 23-year-old hopes to be among the top 5 run scorers this season after having an outstanding domestic season. Singh intends to assist PBKS in ending their postseason curse and reaching the championship game after years, even if converting his starts is still his first objective.

The young wicketkeeper batter was interviewed by News18 Cricketnext, during which he discussed his playing philosophy, learning from seasoned pro Jitesh Sharma, and the support the PBKS administration has given him, among other topics.

Take-outs:

You were an opener in the IPL 2023 last year. It has been at No. 3 this season. For you, is it a significant shift from T20Is, or are there any changes that need to be made?

It’s not that hard; in fact, the team helped me get a lot more clarity. However, there is a little variance since, when you open, you perceive that you have six powerplay overs. However, when you bat at number three, it sometimes occurs that you only have two powerplay overs remaining, in which case you need to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Could you elaborate a little more on the management’s clarity?

It is more important for the management to support you and assure you that you will get a good run at that position than it is to be clear about where to bat and how to play. As a player, you also sort of know that you won’t be dropped quickly. You can then see how you need to perform once you have that level of clarity. After that, your sole job as a player is to contribute to the team’s victory by playing well.

How have you personally adapted to the change? You were given the chance to open last year because Jonny Bairstow was unavailable, but that isn’t the case this time.

Knowing that you will be batting at a certain number helps you to prepare in the nets or during simulation sessions, especially for scenarios involving that batting position. These kinds of things are many. After that, you go through a few particular exercises and attempt to put those concepts into reality. In the live encounter, you won’t be under as much pressure.

It was your first full season with PBKS, and you had just had an incredible domestic season. Vijay Hazare, you led Punjab in runs scored in the Ranji Trophy this year as well, and you took home the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. How much of that self-assurance do you bring to an intense competition like the Indian Premier League?

You know you’re going to have a terrific season when you come here, having performed well on the home circuit. As a domestic player, the IPL is almost your final competition before the season finishes by the time it rolls around. You thus believe that you are in fine shape when you continue in that manner. You believe that because you are in a favorable place, you will succeed here as you performed well on the home circuit.

Although your century against DC was the high point of your season the previous year, PBKS coach Sunil Joshi brought out your low conversion rate. You started the first two games of this season but were pulled. Would you want to make improvements in that area this season?

While it’s important to convert your starts, you also need to consider what’s best for the team in that particular circumstance. It’s a Twenty20 match, so if I get off to a good start, I have to bat a little bit longer. However, as I previously said, there are situations where you have to play at a certain strike rate in order to keep the innings moving along. Consequently, you are not constantly considering a target score for yourself, such as “I should score a 50” or “I should score a 100.” I don’t really love playing that way, to be honest. It is necessary to comprehend the team’s demands at that particular moment. It’s okay if I get a score of fifty; if not, there are no issues. Like I mentioned, I think that’s how the game should be played.

Since Jitesh Sharma is PBKS’s first-choice keeper, your opportunities behind the wickets will be few. However, you have the chance to learn by having a seasoned professional like him around. How does the relationship with Jitesh work?

Regarding Jitesh being the first-choice goalie, there isn’t really a problem. It occurs from time to time, but as a player, you always have the sense that your moment will come and that eventually the management will also see that Prab should be given more responsibility. He is capable. Everything is going well in my practice. Since Jitesh Bhai is now representing India in cricket, is it problematic for me if he continues to play there as well as here? No. Both of us have a strong relationship. I have a lot of questions. When you have a veteran guy who is playing for India, you want to speak to him and ask him a lot of questions. We also discuss topics unrelated to cricket in general. It benefits us both greatly. The nicest part is that we are all really delighted for each other when we perform.

The last time PBKS made it to the playoffs was in 2014. It has been a long time. What has been discussed this time around at the camp?

We never stop thinking about the team’s need to make the playoffs. There are only two teams that compete in the tournament final; the team with the best play wins. It occurs often, yet sometimes it doesn’t. However, things are a little different this year. The group is in a good mood, and we want to finish the task this year; if not, we’ll try again.

Do you set objectives for yourself in order to compete in events like this one?

I really value a team-first mentality. Indeed, to a certain degree, everyone has [personal objectives] in mind, such as needing to hit a certain milestone or figure. For my part, I’m going to aim to finish in the top five batters in the IPL season.

Abhishek Sharma and Naman Dhir, two of your colleagues from Punjab, were there at the historic SRH vs. MI game earlier this week in Hyderabad. How did it feel to see such a run-fest if you were watching the match?

We weren’t able to see the whole match since we were traveling at the time. We used to discuss the game when we would sometimes connect to the phone. This kind of battle always makes me think of the line, “Pehle SRH ne Maar Maar Ke Dhaaga Hi Khul Diya, Fir MI Ne Bhi.” It was a very good match, and I enjoyed seeing snippets of it. Playing and performing with your partners makes it seem much better. They are both nice people, and we always hang together and have a great time when we play domestic cricket. Abhishek and I have batted together for a great number of matches, so when I perform well, he is thrilled, and vice versa. If someone from Punjab succeeds, we are all thrilled for them.