From Shubman Gill's practice partner in India to UAE rival in Asia Cup, who is spinner Simranjeet Singh?

Shubman Gill’s elegant stroke play has made him one of India’s brightest young batting stars, but long before he wore the national colours, he was just another promising kid honing his skills at the PCA nets in Mohali. Among those who bowled to him back then was a little-known left-arm spinner who has since carved out an international career of his own — not with India, but with the United Arab Emirates.

That bowler is Simranjeet Singh, a 35-year-old from Ludhiana, who now finds himself preparing to play against Gill on one of cricket’s grandest stages: the Asia Cup.

"I have known Shubman since he was a kid, but I don't know if he remembers me," Singh told PTI. "Don't know if he would recognise me but during those days, I had bowled a lot to Shubman."

"It was around 2011-12 and Shubman must have been 11 or 12 at the max. We used to train at the PCA Academy in Mohali from 6am to 11am. Shubman would come accompanied by his father at around 11 am," he added.

From Mohali nets to international cricket
Simranjeet vividly remembers the early 2010s, when a 12-year-old Gill would arrive for training with his father. “I bowled a lot to him during those days,” he recalls. While Gill’s career accelerated rapidly, culminating in him becoming a key member of India’s batting lineup, Simranjeet’s journey was far more winding.

A regular in Punjab’s district circuit, he earned a place in the Ranji probables in 2017 and often turned out as a net bowler for Kings XI Punjab. But with no breakthrough in sight, his dream of playing for India began to fade. It was only after the COVID-19 pandemic altered the course of his life that another opportunity opened up.

A new home in the UAE
In 2021, Simranjeet travelled to Dubai for what was supposed to be a short training stint.

When India went into lockdown during the devastating second wave, he couldn’t return home. Stranded, he began playing club cricket and coaching juniors, a move that would eventually pave the way to a UAE call-up once he fulfilled the eligibility criteria.

"I had an offer to practice in Dubai and I had come here for 20 odd days in April, 2021. And then the massive second wave hit and there was another lockdown in India. I couldn't go back for months and eventually ended up staying back," Simranjeet said.

Today, he’s considered a valuable asset by UAE coach Lalchand Rajput, praised for his bravery in giving the ball air and his ability to control the game in T20s.

"Not every left-arm spinner in T20Is has the heart to give the ball air and flight it consistently. Simran knows how to buy wickets with flight," Rajput said, according to a PTI report.

With 15 wickets in 12 matches and an economy under six, Simranjeet has justified his central contract with the Emirates Cricket Board.

"From 2021, once I settled down in Dubai, I started earning decent money through coaching junior players. I was playing club cricket and coaching juniors. That way, I was able to run my household. Once I got into the UAE team, I got a central contract with Emirates Cricket Board and things are looking good," he further told the news agency.