Kings XI Punjab hitter Mandeep Singh moved his teammates and fans after overcoming the grief of his father’s death to play in Saturday’s crucial IPL win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai.
The 28-year-old Punjab batsman received the news Friday night that his father, Hardev Singh, 68, who was battling liver disease and admitted to a Mohali hospital, was gone. Mandeep made the difficult decision to stay in the UAE and was also drafted in the starting eleven to start with skipper KL Rahul after Mayank Agarwal was out due to a leg injury.
Mandeep scored 17 runs on 14 balls, providing a useful start in what turned out to be a low-scoring thriller at the end with KXIP leading by 12 runs. He was fully involved on the field as well, taking the capture of Jason Holder in the frenzied final phase to stop SRH’s pursuit and goading on his teammates.
When his young Punjab teammate Arshdeep Singh took two wickets in the final to seal the victory, Mandeep was on hand to provide constant encouragement.
The KXIP players wore black armbands as a show of respect to Mandeep’s father and dedicated the victory in Dubai to the former track coach.
“Our father was our strength. He was a track and field coach but never imposed anything on Mandeep. He wanted to be a cricket player and our father always encouraged him. Mandeep was heartbroken, but our father would not have wanted him to be back in the middle of the tournament. So, he decided to stay behind for his team, ”said the player’s older brother Harvinder, a veterinarian who has also played the game.
Mandeep attended the last rites through a video call.
During the lockdown, Mandeep worked hard on fitness in Jalandhar’s hometown to prepare for the IPL. He and his wife had been with their sick father in recent months, spending a lot of time with him. In a recent interview, Mandeep said that “the confinement has given us time to spend with the family and enjoy ourselves. Once the cricket starts, you will be traveling the entire time. My parents are happy to see me at home, eating homemade food. I’ve never felt so fit in my career. ”
Mandeep first excelled at the 2010 U19 World Cup in New Zealand. That year, he was chosen by the Kolkata Knight Riders at IPL and was viewed by many as a future prospect from India. Mandeep traded to Kings XI Punjab in 2011. The following year, Mandeep was declared an IPL rising star after scoring 432 runs in 16 games. He has also been with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“Mandeep’s father was a driving force behind him. They were like friends. Whatever value Mandeep has comes from his parents. He was heartbroken to hear the news, but it was composed for the game. His father had seen some of the IPL games Mandeep played and was happy for him. I couldn’t be with Mandeep in this moment of pain, but he is doing what his father wanted him to do, which is playing cricket, ”said Mandeep’s wife, Jagdeep Jaspal, currently in England.
A prayer meeting for his father will be held in Jalandhar once Mandeep returns.
Mandeep has played three T20s for India, in the 2016 series in Zimbabwe in 2016. He has been a prolific scorer for Punjab over the past two seasons, coming back strong after undergoing back surgery in 2018.
Playing professional sports in a biosecurity bubble during the pandemic is in itself emotionally draining, and many players have had to deal with setbacks within their families.
A few days ago, KKR hitter Nitish Rana lost his father-in-law. He held up a team jersey with his father-in-law Surinder’s name as a tribute. England all-rounder Ben Stokes joined the Rajasthan Royals only halfway through the season, having traveled to New Zealand to be with his father, Gerard, who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer.
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