Tamil Nadu’s Gurjapneet Singh bowls on the first day of a Ranji Trophy cricket match between Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, in Chennai. (PTI Photo)
Playing just his 10th first-class match, Gurjapneet returned figures of 4/34 as Tamil Nadu bowled out Uttarakhand, last season’s semi-finalists, for 134 in their Elite Group D clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The 26-year-old, who represents Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL and is part of the BCCI’s targeted pool of fast bowlers, missed Tamil Nadu’s previous match against Rajasthan in Jaipur while representing India A in the 50-over series against Australia in Puducherry.
I have to tick that,” Gurjapneet told reporters at the end of the first day’s play. Coming into the Ranji Trophy, the workload is high and you have to keep maintaining that,” he said. For Gurjapneet Singh, a strong performance in domestic cricket is only another step towards a bigger goal. The Tamil Nadu left-arm pacer made an immediate impact against Uttarakhand in the Ranji Trophy , claiming four wickets on the opening day, but insisted that his job would remain unfinished until he earns a chance to represent India. “There is no satisfaction unless I play for India. That’s the main job, and that box is still empty. “I was practising a lot with both balls.
Bowling to established international batters such as Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli , he said, gave him confidence that he could carry into domestic cricket. “He just said you have good skills and to keep focusing on your length and keep changing angles,” Gurjapneet recalled. Gurjapneet’s experience as a net bowler with the Indian team has helped strengthen his belief in his abilities.