Mandeep Singh

A powerful striker of the cricket ball, top-order batter Mandeep Singh represented India in the U19 team in 2010 and is one of the most talented batsmen in the domestic circuit. Over the years, he emerged as one of the backbones for the Punjab state cricket team.

Mandeep rose through the ranks of junior cricket and was earmarked early as a player to watch out for. Then, the right-hander was elected as the vice-captain for the U19 World Cup and later sealed a place in Punjab’s domestic side during the 2011-12 season. 

After the U19 event, the batsman got selected by Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2010 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). A season later, he moved his base to Kings XI Punjab and 2012 became his breakthrough IPL edition, where he scored 432 runs and was adjudged the ‘Rising Star of the Tournament’ award winner. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) claimed him in the 2015 season before he shifted his base back to Punjab in 2019. 

The fluent stroke makers tournament-leading efforts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2015 had also earned him a place in the Indian T20 team for the tour of Zimbabwe in 2016. He has been a regular feature in the Punjab team's dressing room and has been in superb form in first-class cricket in recent months.

During the 2021 season, held in UAE, Mandeep made one of the hardest decisions in anyone’s entire life. He stayed with his IPL team after his father’s demise and chose to step out on the field for the match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. This action speaks volumes about Mandeep’s character and his passion for the sport. 

Post the 13th edition of IPL, he led the Punjab state team in the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and led a relatively new side to the semifinals of the tournament before getting knocked out by Baroda. Later that year, Mandeep also captained his state team in the 50-overs competition. 

(As of March 2021)