A year after his debut, Punjab-born Simi Singh finds place in Ireland squad for India T20s
Simi Singh, an all-rounder from Punjab, becomes notable inclusion in the 14-man Ireland squad for the T20 series against India. Simi, who made his debut against New Zealand, has played 7 ODIs and 4 T20I and aims to cement his place in all three formats and help Ireland qualify for the T20 World Cup.
It would be an emotional moment for Mohali-born cricketer Simi Singh when he will take on the field against India at Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin. Simi, who first went to Ireland for Hotel Management studies in 2006, later played and coached at the Malahide Cricket Club and has now found a place in the national team. The 31-year-old cricketer, after his inclusion in Irish squad, is ready to face a team he had once aspired to play for - India.
“From the day I started playing cricket in Mohali, I always used to dream about playing for the Indian team. When I did not get my chance in Punjab cricket, I went to study in Ireland and now to get a chance to play against the Indian team at the same ground, where I used to play and train kids, is the biggest moment of my career. Though I have never met players like Indian captain Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni, I have always seen them play on television. In my college days in Chandigarh, I played along with Yuzvendra Chahal and also with Siddharth Kaul and facing them on the cricket field again will be special. A lot of my friends in Ireland will wear my Ireland jersey with Singh written on it and cheering for me,” shared the cricketer, who got Irish citizenship last year.
The off-spinning all-rounder made his debut against New Zealand in Dublin last year and played 7 ODIs so far. He made his T20 debut against Netherland and has played list-A matches but is yet to play against top sides in this format. However, he is confident of his performance in T20s.
“Playing in the T-20 format at the international level before the series against India gave me a lot of confidence. Scotland and Netherlands have some very good players and taking wickets against those teams helped my game. Playing for Leinster Lightning, which also sees the presence of players like Kevin O’Brien, also gives me an opportunity to hone my all-rounder skills. The century against Knights earlier this month came in tough conditions and it feels good to see my name in the record books,” Singh said.
Simi, who missed out on Ireland's Test debut against Pakistan last month, aims to be a regular in all the three formats and help Ireland qualify for T20 WC.
“It was disappointing for me to miss the Test against Pakistan but the team wanted pace bowlers for the match. Our coach Graham Ford has been spending a lot of time with the spinners too and after the India and Afghanistan series, I will also spend some time in Australia adjusting to the local conditions there. I want to cement my place in all three formats with the latest FTP being released and helping Ireland qualify for the T-20
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