Pankaj Singh, 6 feet 5 inches tall, was called by Yuvraj Singh the best bowler in domestic cricket. But he kept on waiting for India’s call to play.
From school to college and then to get a job, the person whose name I heard continuously in Rajasthan cricket was Pankaj Singh. Whenever domestic cricket was going on, Pankaj Singh would always be the focal point in the match involving Rajasthan. This was the name that remained until the Rajasthan team, who were in the plate group, left from there and then became Ranji champions. Otherwise, many domestic cricket giants like Ajay Jadeja, Akash Chopra, Hrishikesh Kanitkar came and went in Rajasthan. I often think how big a bowler Pankaj Singh is. When he sees, he takes a wicket. Why don’t you get a chance in the Indian team? But going ahead, Pankaj also received the reward for his great performance. He played for India in Tests and ODIs. But look at the luck that you could not play more than two Tests. There was a spam record name in them. At the same time, they were forgotten after one match in ODIs. Know where those people went to talk about Pankaj Singh today.
Pankaj Singh is originally from Sultanpur, UP but played cricket for Rajasthan. First earned the name in Under 19 and then made it to India A and Indian team. During this time there was a continuous sequence. Bowling for Rajasthan without getting tired in domestic cricket. Made a debut for Rajasthan in 2004 and kept playing for it till 2018. When he started playing for Rajasthan, the team was counted among the laggards. Most of the time used to pass in the plate group. Apart from Pankaj, the team did not have too many fast bowlers. Today, Rajasthan has one person each. Like- Deepak Chahar, Khalil Ahmed, Aniket Chaudhary and new-found Akash Singh.
150 wickets in four years
Pankaj Singh, six feet five inches tall, tried to remove the team from the plate group without getting tired. How amazing his bowling was, it can be understood from this that he would have been consistently involved in the highest wicket-taking bowlers in domestic cricket. In 2007, he bowled brilliantly for the team for the first time and took 21 wickets, taking Rajasthan to the final of the Plate Group. After this, in domestic cricket, he put up a run of runs. In the next four years, he took 150 wickets. Between 2008 and 2014, he was consistently in the top five bowlers. Sometimes on top or sometimes on the second or third number.
Went to Australia under Kumble’s captaincy but could not play
The result was that Pankaj Singh was part of it when the Indian team went to Australia under the captaincy of Anil Kumble in 2007-08. Although he did not get a chance to play. Pankaj came without playing international matches. Again started sweating in domestic cricket. Two years later, Pankaj was selected when India’s main bowlers were rested for the tri-series on the Zimbabwe tour. Pankaj also made his ODI debut in the match against Sri Lanka along with R Ashwin and Naman Ojha. Pankaj threw 45 for seven overs and got no wickets. India lost the match. Pankaj never played ODI again.
Run to the selector to ask the answer for not having a selection
In the year 2010-11, when Rajasthan became the Ranji champions, Pankaj Singh had the highest number of wickets. In the next season i.e. 2011-12, when Rajasthan again won the trophy, Pankaj Singh was third among the highest wicket takers. But neither Team India nor India A got a call. It was a continuation till 2014. Pankaj Singh came out of action due to frequent wickets and no selection. During the last Ranji match of Rajasthan in January 2014, he ran towards the box where selector Roger Binny was sitting while the game was over. But by the time Pankaj arrived, Binny was gone. In July, Pankaj Singh was named in the Indian team for the Test series during the tour of England. The long wait is over.
Debut in 29 years, Dada to Cap and Jadeja drop
At the age of 29, he got a place in the playing eleven in the third Test against England. Sourav Ganguly handed him the test cap. Pankaj put his first over maiden. Only runs in the second over. With the edge of Alastair Cook’s bat on the very first ball of the third over, the ball went to Ravindra Jadeja standing in the slip. Easy catch. But Jadeja leaked. After this, Cook scored an innings of 95 runs. Pankaj duped the batsmen several times in this match. The ball always kept distance with the bat.
Spam World Record Name
Then a chance came. Pankaj Singh’s ball fell to the leg stump. Ian Bell was the batsman in front. The ball neither went out nor straight. Rather went inside and started on the pads. Strong appeal. Pankaj’s appeal is very strong. But umpire Rod Tucker did not listen. The disappointment was clearly visible on Pankaj’s face. In replays, Hawk Eye showed that the ball was going above the middle stump. But now nothing could happen. Going forward, Ian Bell scored 167 runs. Pankaj Singh caught his catch. During this, he gave 179 runs in both innings. Due to this, Pankaj Singh’s name was recorded as the highest run bowler in a debut match without taking a wicket. This is a world record.
Pankaj also got a chance to play in the second Test in Manchester. In this match, he got the wickets of Joe Root and Jose Butler. But India lost by an innings. With this, Pankaj Singh’s test career also ended. Pankaj later said,
After receiving the wicket in the debut match, people expressed sympathy to me. I was called unlucky Pankaj. But Dhoni said that there is nothing like Lucky or Analki. How much you try makes just that. And I have no complaint on your efforts.
The call never came again
Pankaj had hoped at that time that he would be selected for the tour of Australia. But it did not happen again, he could never make a place in the Indian team. There is an anecdote after this. It is a matter of 2015. I went to Pankaj Singh’s house with my brother. For the interview for an edition of Hyper Local. Pankaj Singh opened the door on his own. Made us sit in the meeting and went outside for five minutes. When he returned, he had milk bags in his hand. They sat and talked for a long time. Although the interview was not about cricket. But I asked two-three questions on my own.
When I asked about the 2014 tour of England, I remember that Pankaj had no feelings on his face. Do not despair and anger of any kind. He just said, ‘I did my job. Wicket opportunities were also made but not met. Cricket is like that. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni knew how well I bowled. At that time too, he was expected to call the team.
First seamer to take 400 wickets in Ranji Trophy
Pankaj Singh played 117 matches in first class cricket and took 472 wickets. He is the first seamer to take 400 wickets in Ranji Trophy. He took five or more wickets in an innings 28 times. Also set a record of taking five wickets against 17 different teams. In the year 2018, Pankaj joined the Pondicherry team. He played with this team for two seasons. In the first season here, he took the highest 45 wickets for the team. He also played IPL for six consecutive seasons. All these seasons he played for Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore only. However, nothing special happened here. Now Pankaj Singh runs his academy at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur.
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