tushar

Sad day for India’s women who hoped to find themselves in the parliament or assembly.

You remember the auction room of 2018. Some kid from Patiala, barely old enough to vote, zero first class games to his name, suddenly worth 4.8 crore. It looked like the kind of punt that destroys franchises. 7 years on, that same kid is hitting sixes like his life depends on it. Because it does. From 2019 to 2022, Prabhsimran played just 6 IPL games. Punjab kept the chequebook open, kept him on roster, kept whispering about potential. But potential without release rots you. You spend nights in hotels carrying water bottles. You watch Gayle & Dhawan do your job. You start believing the auction price was a curse, not a blessing. He ran to stay human. 7 kilometers, then 8. Every morning. The burning in his lungs was better than the silence of the bench. Sachin Tendulkar told him something once; He said most boys would kill to sit where he sat. Told him to find contentment there. Sounds like advice for a monk, not a cricketer. But Prabhsimran clung to it. Then 2023 happened. The Impact Player rule dropped. Purists screamed about death of cricket. For Prabhsimran, it was oxygen. He could swing from ball one without worrying about the collapse. 13th May 2023, Kotla. Delhi Capitals had them against the wall. He walked in & played the innings of his life. First 30 balls: 27 runs. Next 35: 76 runs. No other batter crossed even 20 runs for his team while he scored his 1st IPL century. Delhi missed the playoffs. Prabhsimran found himself. But that is not why he bats like his life depends on it. You need to meet Sardar Surjit Singh, His father. Kidney failure. Three sessions a week hooked to machines. The house in Patiala is heavy with it. The only time the old man lights up is when his son opens for Punjab. They carry him to the couch before every game. Position the TV. For 3 hours, the sickness vanishes. Think about that weight. Every boundary is not runs for him, It is medication. Every six is oxygen for an old man. When he says he plays for his father, he means it literally. The single joy in a week of hospital corridors & medical debt. Come the 2025 auction, Punjab retained 2 players only. Shashank Singh & him. 4 crore for a keeper who had spent 4 years doing mostly nothing. He repaid them with 549 runs at 160 strike rate. Shreyas Iyer gave him something simple; Freedom. Told him he was senior now. Told him one bad game would not end him. Freedom to fail. Now he is flying. Strike rate pushing 173 this season. 80* against Mumbai off 39 balls. 51 off 25 against SRH. Each innings bigger than the last: 37, then 43, then 51, then 80*. The boy who waited is now the man who delivers.