IPL 2026: Amid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya noise, Prabhsimran Singh is quietly 'raising the bar'

In five matches this season, the 26-year-old has scored 211 runs at a strike rate of 173, including two fifties. He currently sits in the top five leading run-scorers.

A rare talent

Right from a young age, Prabhsimran was known as a hard-hitting batter in Punjab. The Patiala-born was so talented that during an Under-14 match at Dhruv Pandove Stadium, after he smashed a couple of sixes, the late D. P. Azad, then chairman of the Punjab Cricket Association coaching committee, remarked that he was too good for U-14s and did not allow him to continue in that tournament.

"In 2012, Azad sir selected 20 Under-14 kids from six districts. I was the coach of Patiala Under-14. The likes of Anmolpreet Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, and Mayank Markande were in Patiala Under-14, whereas Shubman Gill and Nehal Wadhera were in Mohali and Ludhiana, respectively.

"In one of the matches at Dhruv Pandove Stadium, Prabhsimran smashed eight sixes in the first three overs. Azad sir refused to believe that the kid was only 11 or 12. After two games, he said that Prabhsimran was too good for that level and that the other kids should not be scared," Kamalpreet Sandhu said.

"I still remember DP Azad sir's words: 'Kamal, look after this kid, he is special.' He had natural strength, strong wrists, and hit the ball with immense power," said Kamalpreet Sandhu, who runs Cricket Hub Academy.

Kamal said there were a couple of moments that changed Prabhsimran as an individual. The first was being overlooked for the 2018 U-19 World Cup, which India won under Prithvi Shaw. A dejected Prabhsimran vented his frustration by scoring 298 in the Punjab inter-district U-23 tournament. He smashed 29 fours and 13 sixes during his 301-ball stay.

That knock helped him garner the attention of IPL scouts, and Punjab Kings splurged Rs 4.8 crore on the youngster.

"DP Azad sir gave us Kapil Dev. One look at Prabhsimran was enough for him to know the boy was special. Then Ponting, over the last 16 months, has taken his cricket to the next level," said Sandhu.

The second defining moment was when Ponting became the head coach of the Punjab Kings.

After the win against MI, the former Australia skipper said on JioHotstar, "When players feel backed, like someone like Prabhsimran or Shashank (Singh), they respond with performances, and that’s what ultimately drives results."

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More than a decade ago, DP Azad spotted something special in the right-hander which years later the former Australian captain has taken to a different level.

Another consistent season at the top will keep Prabhsimran Singh in contention for an India call-up. With the Men in Blue set to play over 40 T20Is before the 2028 Summer Olympics, Prabhsimran will challenge the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya in that race because, along with his six-hitting prowess, he has also matured as a cricketer.