Power-hitter Prabhsimran Singh of the Punjab Kings completely supports the “Impact Sub” rule, applauding it for providing young players with a crucial lifeline and a fantastic chance to excel in the IPL. The young man further disclosed that he intentionally attempts to emulate Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wicket-keeping technique.
Several cricket experts have criticized the “Impact Sub” rule for favoring batters disproportionately, diminishing the role of all-rounders, and causing exaggerated scores. Prabhsimran, however, has a different perspective.
“As a youngster, I see the Impact Sub rule as a great opportunity for young players, and I have said this several times. Many don’t like it because, obviously, a team can take more high-risk decisions when a player — be it a batter or bowler — is added to the side,” PTI quoted Prabhsimran as saying in a media interaction.
“But for young players, it’s invaluable. When I joined the (PBKS) franchise, I spent eight years with them, and for four of those years, I didn’t get many chances to play. Sitting on the sidelines, I always hoped for a shot, and now, because of the Impact Sub rule, I feel the opportunities for youngsters have increased significantly,” the young top-order batter, who scored 500-plus runs last IPL season, added.
One might wonder if Prabhsimran tries to imitate India’s abundance of top-order wicketkeeper-batters, such as KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, and Ishan Kishan, or if he sticks to his own style. The cricketer clarifies that he intentionally tries to model his game after former India captain Dhoni.
“You cannot say I try to copy anyone…they are all my seniors, and each has their own style of play, while I have mine. Now that I am keeping as well, I have watched Mahi bhai’s keeping — his hands are so fast. I don’t try to copy anyone in batting, but when it comes to keeping, I consciously make an effort to be like Mahi bhai.”
In recent seasons, Prabhsimran, who has been with the Punjab team for eight years, has become their go-to opener for a scorching start. He claims that the powerplay is now the time when teams unleash their attacking intent to drive toward a 200-plus score, a feat that is increasingly becoming the norm.
“The game has become so fast that earlier, scores of 170†180 were defendable, and even today that can happen, but when you look at the numbers, 200-plus scores are increasingly becoming the norm. To reach 200-plus, I feel the powerplay has to be approached with an attacking mindset.
“Clarity from the team — coach and captain — is crucial in deciding whether we should go all out, and with that clarity, scoring 250 isn’t very difficult. Clarity of thought is key, because to post or chase 200, you have to play high-risk cricket,” says the Punjab player, who, like India opener Abhishek Sharma, also seeks guidance from World Cup-winning star Yuvraj Singh.
“With Yuvi paaji, the relationship isn’t like coach and student…it’s more like an elder brother. Whenever Priyansh Arya and I get time, we call him and request guidance, and he arranges training sessions either in Mohali or Gurgaon. We even have the freedom to call him and disturb him at 3 or 4 in the morning.”
The 25-year-old believes that perseverance is the only path forward when it comes to fostering aspirations of representing India and witnessing a close buddy like Abhishek advance to the senior level.
“The level of competition for an India berth means you have to push yourself even harder — less effort simply won’t suffice. There is immense competition, but if you take it positively as healthy competition, it helps you grow. That chance (to play in senior team) will come, but I’ll need to keep raising the bar.
“With Abhishek Sharma, we share a very close bond and have played a lot of cricket together. It feels great to see someone you’ve played with succeed, and I always wish the best for him in both good and tough phases. At the same time, it creates a healthy drive within me — my partner has made it to India, and now it’s my turn,” says Prabhsimran.
