My Ultimate Aim Is To Play Test Cricket For India: Mandeep Singh

Kings XI Punjab batsman Mandeep Singh is one of the brightest talents in the domestic circuit, who has not yet regularly played for the national team. Mandeep Singh, who will play under KL Rahul in the forthcoming edition of IPL, has so far played in three T20Is in 2016, all of which came under Zimbabwe. However, his main motive is to play Test cricket.

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Mandeep Singh is a veteran of 78 first-class games, 103 List A games, and 165 T20s. The 28-year old has scored 5316 runs in the first-class circuit a healthy average of 47.26 alongside 13 centuries. As far as his first-class career goes, the right-handed batsman has 3112 runs at 35.36 with three tons. He also boasts of a solitary fifty from three T20Is. Hence, the Punjab batsman has a great chance of making it to the Indian team.

When asked if the upcoming IPL season will play a crucial role in making a comeback to the Indian team, Mandeep Singh stated that his ultimate aim is play Test cricket. Mandeep added that his Ranji season transpired well and would be playing for Rest of India if not for the pandemic. However, he wants to focus on his efforts instead of complaining, ensuring of remaining in contention for a spot in the Indian team. He believes in using the opportunities to the fullest and performing well.

“When you refer to T20s, I think IPL is the biggest platform. Many players have been picked from the IPL for the international team. I don’t think that T20s are the be all and end all. I have always made it clear that my ultimate aim is to play Test cricket for India; touchwood my last Ranji season went off well. If corona had not happened, I would have played in the Rest of India team, but this is no time to complain. I always focus on putting in my best efforts, and I know that the more consistent I am, the better my chances are for a comeback into the national fold. The idea is to perform well and make most of the opportunities,” the 28-year old told Times Now.

“The fitter you are, the better you will be able to score in these conditions” : Mandeep Singh

Mandeep Singh further said that fitness levels would play a massive role as the climate will be hot in the UAE and the tracks slow. Hence, it signals for the batsmen to run swiftly between the wickets, which will ensure better run-scoring.

“Yes, it is very hot in UAE right now, and fitness will play a huge role. Wickets are also bound to be slow, which means not many runs will be scored. So, it implies that batsmen will be expected to run faster between the wickets, which needs a lot of fitness. So, the fitter you are, the better you will be able to score in these conditions,” Mandeep added.

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