Snubbed in Punjab, Mohali lad makes waves in international cricket for Ireland

Chandigarh: After Gurinder Sandhu and Ish Sodhi, another cricketer with roots in Punjab is making waves in international cricket. Simaranjit Singh, whose family stays in Mohali, has made it into the Irish national team on the back of consistent all-round performances in Ireland’s first-class competitions.

Known as Simi in Ireland, Simaranjit, 30, made his international debut against New Zealand in May this year. He is also in the Irish squad for their one-off one-dayer against West Indies to be played on September 13. Ireland was granted Test status by the International Cricket Council on June 22 this year. And, Simaranjit wants to fulfill his long-standing dream of playing Test cricket.

“Although, I didn’t play international cricket for India, hopefully, I’ll play my first Test for Ireland very soon,” Simi tells TOI, from Dublin.

Simaranjit’s story is inspiring for young sportspersons, who lose hope after getting badly treated by local sports bodies. For over seven years, Simi toiled hard, amassed runs and took wickets for Punjab’s junior teams – yet was overlooked by the selectors during the selection of the state’s U-19 squad. He represented Punjab successfully at the U-14 and U-17 level; and in 2004, he scored 725 runs in the state inter-district U-17 championship.

“He (Simaranjit) was named the best player at the 46th National School Games held in Vijayawada in 2001,” father Amarjit Singh shares. Despite being a consistent performer, Simi failed to make the cut at the U-19 level.

“It was a very frustrating time for me and my family. My dream to play for India was nipped in the bud,” Simi recollects.

“He was very hardworking but was treated very badly here (in Punjab). Simi didn’t get the chance to prove his mettle at the U-19 level,” says Bharti Vij, Simaranjit’s coach and one of Punjab cricket’s legends. “He was an opening batsman with a very sound technique,” he adds.

Frustrated that his cricketing career couldn’t take off, Simi packed his bags for Ireland in 2005 to pursue hotel management. His friend and former teammate, Gaurav convinced him that an opportunity existed in Ireland to pursue cricket and academics simultaneously.

“I would play cricket on the weekend by paying five euros per game. I worked at a grocery store so that I could afford to pay to play cricket,” reminisces Simi. In a year’s time, he played for the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin as a professional. In between, in 2008, he returned to India when the first edition of IPL was around the corner. He gave trials for Kings XI Punjab, but didn’t make it to the main team.

A work visa from Old Balverydale Cricket Club would mean that Simaranjit returned to Dublin in 2009 and played for the club for the next three years before joining YMCA Cricket Club in 2012. He started bowling off-spin after seeing the videos of Saqlain Mushtaq, and went on to pick 56 wickets in the Leinster Senior Cup – a first-division tournament in Ireland — for the club in 2013. He also scored 786 runs in the club’s title win.

“In 2015, I shifted to provincial team Leinster Lighting and have been playing for the team since then. Playing alongside the likes of Kevin O’Brien, John Anderson and George Dockrell has helped my game. Earlier, I used to bat a bit slow, but O’Brien told me to inject some aggressiveness in my game,” states Simaranjit.

It has not been all hunky-dory for him in Ireland. With tough residency rules in place, Simi’s ECB Level 2 coaching degree and he being a certified personal trainer helped him to stay afloat in Ireland till he got Irish citizenship in May this year. “It is one heck of a journey. To be part of the Irish national team is a dream come true for me,” Simi adds with a sense of elation.

“The system in Ireland is very transparent, unlike India. And today, if I find myself in the limelight, it is purely because of cricketing reasons.” Simi hasn’t forgotten the PCA stadium in Mohali – where it all began for him. He wants to play at the stadium once again, and will appear for the trials that Kings XI will conduct before the next season of IPL.

“I would love to play for Kings XI Punjab in the next season of IPL, because it would be a surreal feeling to play at the PCA stadium,” he says.