What happened to Harmeet Singh? Deccan Chargers' IPL 2009 star falls off the radar

Punjab's Harmeet Singh Bansal was one of the members of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers line-up in the 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL) edition wherein they emerged champions. He played seven matches in the season and was part of Deccan Chargers till 2011. Harmeet Singh was later acquired by the Kings XI Punjab franchise ahead of IPL 2012 and was released after the 2013 edition. Here is a look at some insights regarding what happened to Harmeet Singh and a roundup of his cricketing career.

Also Read | Who Is Hemang Amin? BCCI Official's Quiet And Steady Rise To The Top

What happened to Harmeet Singh? What has the cricketer been up to?

The right-arm medium pacer made his Ranji Trophy debut for Punjab in 2009 as a 22-year old. He was later roped in by Deccan Chargers for IPL 2009 in South Africa where he played alongside the likes of T20 heavyweights Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and a young Rohit Sharma.

In an interview with Sportskeeda in 2019, Harmeet Singh talked about his journey and experience with the Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab. He stated that he took up cricket after a close friend of his father noticed him quite early in his life. He said that he shifted to Mohali in 2002 where he began playing and years later, he was selected to represent Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. Harmeet Singh described his IPL 2009 journey with Deccan Chargers as something “very special” to him.

Harmeet Singh’s IPL 2013 appearance was his final outing in the tournament as he was not selected in the subsequent auctions. The former IPL winner is currently working as an Inspector of GST and Customs in Chandigarh. He also plays cricket for Central GST and Customs as an all-rounder in the Chandigarh Zone.

Also Read | BCCI Keen On Hosting National Team's Training Camp, IPL 2020 Both In Dubai: Report

RP Singh: Harmeet Singh a “lucky mascot” of Adam Gilchrist

After his IPL success with Deccan Chargers under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist, he was once again united with the veteran Australian through Kings XI Punjab. Interestingly, Harmeet’s ex-Deccan Chargers teammate RP Singh revealed in May 2020 that the medium-pacer was actually Gilchrist’s ‘lucky mascot’. RP Singh told Star Sports that the former Australian cricketer always believed his team would win if Harmeet Singh was playing.

What happened to Harmeet Singh? Harmeet Singh career stats

Across 27 IPL matches for Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab, Harmeet Singh picked up 25 wickets at an average of 26.96. While his numbers are not significant by any means, his contribution for Deccan Chargers in the semi-final and final of IPL 2009 proved instrumental to his side’s success. He collectively bowled seven overs in the two matches to give away only 38 runs while bagging a wicket. He also took a running catch in the final that ultimately proved decisive in the contest.

Also Read | BCCI Red-faced After Bombay HC Orders It To Compensate Erstwhile Deccan Chargers: Report

Also Read | Rohit Sharma Lauded By Former Deccan Teammate RP Singh For 13 Years In International Cricket

Image credit: Harmeet Singh Twitter