The former wicket-keeper batter of India, Robin Uthappa, has urged the management of the Blue Brigade to hand a debut to this star all-rounder from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. For a long time, the competition has helped in producing young talents for the national side, from the likes of Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav.
The latest in the list is Ramandeep Singh, who has taken the world by storm in the shortest format of the game. The 27-year-old was part of the winning franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), in the previous season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) under the mentorship of current Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Singh smashed 125 runs in just nine innings at a strike rate of over 200 with the best score of 35, mostly coming into the middle in the lower order. In the recent semifinal fixture against Afghanistan A in Al Amerat during the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024, he smashed 64 runs in 34 deliveries, shouldering on eight boundaries and a couple of sixes.
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Robin Uthappa, the former wicket-keeper batter of the KKR franchise, has listed the all-rounder as ‘one of the most exciting prospects’ in Indian cricket. Despite being in the squad of the T20I series, he wasn’t included in the playing eleven for the opening encounter in Durban.
“I would love for him to play. I think he is one of the most exciting prospects we have seen in the recent past. He is a handy all-rounder, his performances in the IPL have been second to none. As a finisher, he’s played 62 balls, scored 125 runs, has fielded incredibly well, bowled when he is asked to.” The former wicket-keeper and opening batter of the Blue Brigade expressed during a discussion in Hindustan Times.
“If you are striking at 200 and you are fielding as well as Ramandeep does, and we have seen more of that when he played for India A in the recently-concluded series in Oman. So I am excited to see him play.” Robin Uthappa added.
Robin Uthappa urges Gautam Gambhir to play Ramandeep Singh frequently
Ramandeep Singh has featured in 37 T20 innings with the bat, where he has notched up 544 runs at an average of 24.72 and a strike rate of over 170 with the help of two half-centuries at a best score of 64. With the ball, he hasn’t been that effective for his 16 scalps at an average of 16.06 with an economy rate of below eight.
Robin Uthappa has requested the Indian head coach to include the Chandigarh-born in the playing eleven of the side more frequently in the future. Recently, the Knight Riders retained the all-rounder for a price of INR 4 crores for the 2025 season of the IPL.
“I have seen him in the past, but you didn’t see the potential in the past, but in KKR, he has come out there, and he’s come into his own perhaps, and he is oozing confidence.” The 38-year-old shared his views.
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“So, you want someone like that when things are going well, confidence is going high, you want to blood them in. If you can blood someone like him, then you get two all-rounders in the likes of him and Hardik Pandya, which is gold to Indian cricket at this point.” Robin Uthappa concluded.
The second of the four-match T20I series will be played on November 10 at the Gqeberha before they move to Centurion and Johannesburg for the final two fixtures.
