NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer celebrated Prabhsimran Singh’s latest performance on Thursday evening, saying the batter has “raised his bar”. At Wankhede Stadium, the 26-year-old produced a high-impact display of timing and power, striking an unbeaten 80 off 39 balls against Mumbai Indians to steer Punjab Kings to victory. The win lifted Punjab Kings to the summit of the IPL 2026 points table.
While headlines have swirled around teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the six-hitting flair of Priyansh Arya—who also opens alongside Prabhsimran—this innings underlined a different theme: Prabhsimran is delivering the required work, match after match. He has been a steady force in the background, even when the spotlight is elsewhere.
What Iyer praised after the win
- Shreyas Iyer said Prabhsimran has “raised his bar” compared to last season.
- Iyer highlighted improved maturity to finish games.
- Punjab Kings’ victory came via Prabhsimran’s unbeaten 80 off 39 balls vs Mumbai Indians.
- The win pushed Punjab Kings to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
- Prabhsimran scored 549 runs at a strike rate of 160.53 in Punjab Kings’ run to the finals last season.
Iyer also pointed to how Prabhsimran’s approach has evolved from the start of last season. He suggested that in the earlier phase, the batter would sometimes swing wildly in the powerplay—still finding runs, but also giving Punjab Kings excellent starts rather than converting them into finished results. This time, Iyer felt Prabhsimran had grown into the role of closing out the contest.
The captain further stressed the value of young players taking ownership. In his view, it is “great to see youngsters” who step up to decide matches rather than just contribute in moments. He described Prabhsimran as a phenomenal talent and added that with more games, the batter is getting more mature.
Prabhsimran’s journey with the franchise dates back to 2019, when the Mohali-based setup—then known as Kings XI Punjab—spent Rs 4.8 crore to bring him in. His role has increased over time, and the numbers show the change in opportunity.
In the first stretch of his career, he struggled to get regular chances. Across his first six seasons with the side, he played only nine matches. That pattern shifted from IPL 2023 onward, when he began featuring consistently.
In IPL 2023 and IPL 2024, he scored 358 runs and 334 runs respectively, but consistency remained a question. The latest praise reflects a player who has started to iron out those inconsistencies and turn starts into bigger totals.
Coaching focus: cut, pull, and staying longer
Before IPL 2025, Ricky Ponting identified specific areas for growth and gave Prabhsimran both confidence and a clear objective. His coach, Kamalpreet Sandhu, explained that the main instruction was to sharpen his cut and pull shots. Sandhu also revealed that Prabhsimran was arriving early for practice—starting around 1:30 PM—compared with the academy schedule of 3:30 PM, and putting in intense work during the six weeks leading into the tournament.
Last season’s output opened another door: Prabhsimran was selected for the India A squad to face Australia A in September. He took the opportunity with both hands by smashing 102 off 68 balls in the third unofficial ODI, a knock that helped India A secure the series 2-1.
Heading into IPL 2026, Ponting laid out a new task—reduce the chances of losing his wicket in the 30s and 40s. Sandhu said the recurring issue was that Prabhsimran would spark fast cameos and then get dismissed. Ponting’s guidance was that since his performance against spin was strong, he could take an over or two after the powerplay, and if he stayed until the 16th or 17th over, his strike rate would not fall.
Sandhu summed it up as a confidence problem as much as a technique one—getting the batter to believe he can control the innings and keep building.
So far this season, Prabhsimran has scored 211 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 173, including two fifties. His current tally has him among the top five leading run-scorers in the tournament.
A rare talent with two defining turning points
Prabhsimran’s reputation as a power-hitter goes back years. Sandhu described how, as a youngster in Punjab, he was already showing the kind of hitting that made coaches sit up. One early incident came during an Under-14 match at Dhruv Pandove Stadium, where after he launched a couple of sixes, the late D. P. Azad—then chairman of the Punjab Cricket Association coaching committee—felt he was too advanced for that age group and stopped him from continuing in the tournament.
Sandhu recalled that in 2012, Azad selected 20 Under-14 players from six districts. Prabhsimran was part of the Patiala Under-14 group coached by Sandhu, alongside Anmolpreet Singh and Mayank Markande. Others like Shubman Gill and Nehal Wadhera were placed in groups from Mohali and Ludhiana respectively.
In one match at the Dhruv Pandove Stadium, Prabhsimran struck eight sixes in the first three overs. Azad reportedly refused to accept that the child was only 11 or 12. After two games, he concluded that Prabhsimran was too good for that level and that the other children should not be made to feel intimidated by his talent.
Sandhu also remembered Azad’s direct message to him: “Kamal, look after this kid, he is special.” He added that Prabhsimran had natural strength, strong wrists, and the ability to hit with real power.
According to Sandhu, two moments stood out as personal turning points. The first arrived when Prabhsimran was overlooked for the 2018 U-19 World Cup—India went on to win that tournament under Prithvi Shaw. Sandhu said Prabhsimran responded to the disappointment by scoring 298 in the Punjab inter-district U-23 competition, smashing 29 fours and 13 sixes during a 301-ball stay.
That knock brought attention from IPL scouts and set the stage for Punjab Kings to invest Rs 4.8 crore in him. Sandhu linked the belief of Kapil Dev as another crucial boost, saying that Azad “gave us Kapil Dev” and that one look was enough for Kapil to recognise something special. He also credited Ponting’s work over the previous 16 months for taking Prabhsimran’s cricket to a higher level.
The second defining moment came when Ponting became head coach of Punjab Kings. After the win against Mumbai Indians, Sandhu said Ponting remarked on JioHotstar that when players feel backed—like Prabhsimran or Shashank Singh—they respond with performances, and that is what ultimately shapes results.
Putting it all together, the story highlights how more than a decade ago Azad spotted something special in the right-hander, and how Ponting later helped translate that raw ability into a more complete game.
With the promise of another consistent season at the top, Prabhsimran could remain in the frame for an India call-up. India are set to play more than 40 T20Is before the 2028 Summer Olympics, and Prabhsimran will compete with the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya as the race for spots intensifies. Beyond his six-hitting, the current phase of his career is also about maturation—learning how to pace innings and carry responsibility.
