In the final league stage match of the Tata Indian Premier League 2022, that happened between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, Harpreet Brar’s performance of 4-0-26-3 earned him the Player of the Match award.

His contribution was essential in handing Punjab Kings a five-wicket win in their final game to end the season on a good note. Post the match, Brar and fellow Punjabi boy Arshdeep Singh decoded the former’s secret to a great show in that game.

Mindset and secret to a good game

“The secret to this is good company,” Brar said. “My friends are nice people! Like this guy, who is standing in front of me,” the left-arm spinner said, patting on Singh’s shoulder. “They always motivate me to perform better and talk about good things, spreading positivity,” Brar elaborated.

“I carried those very things into the game, which is why I got the Player of the Match award,” he smiled and said. While coming to the game, Brar had studied the pitch well. “I came into the match realising that the wickets supported the bowlers. So, if I bowl well in my areas, it will be tough for the batters to score,” Brar let us in.

He further explained, “I want to do this every game. But today, a bonus from getting a good pitch was claiming wickets. Whenever a bowler gets good wickets, they will always get happier,” Brar exclaimed.

Arshdeep on getting maiden India call-up

Arshdeep Singh earned his maiden India call-up for the upcoming T20Is against South Africa. He got this news as PBKS was preparing to leave for their final game against SRH. He spoke to Brar after the match to address how he felt about this.

“I found out on the bus that my name had been included in the T20I squad. I felt quite excited, but since we had a match around the corner, I didn’t indulge in the feeling much. I guess, I will gradually realise how special this moment is,” the young pacer said.

“Usually, whoever plays cricket, this is their dream - to represent their country. I feel lucky and grateful, and would want to perform well going ahead,” Singh said. Last year, he had complained about his name not being among the top bowlers who had delivered most yorkers. Today, he stands above them all in the current season.

The left-arm fast-medium bowler had worked on his death bowling, which produced impeccable results this year. “Credit goes to the management who picked such batters in the auction, to whom I repeatedly had to bowl yorkers to and get the better of them,” a smiling Singh said.

“We learn from our experiences and apply them going ahead”

Brar also addressed the media in the post-match presentation ceremony. “All teams are good. But when we are out there on the ground playing, we could make mistakes. Whoever plays well on that day, the result favours that team”, Brar said, talking about the quality of the ten teams in Tata IPL 2022.

The spinner further added, “We have also learnt from these things. We have tried our best, but the results did not pan out in our favour. We do feel bad about it, but as a player and a professional, we learn from these experiences. We will work on this and apply them in our games ahead.”

The bowling all-rounder spoke of the importance of honing his batting skills as well. “Of course, I mainly serve the team as a bowler. I majorly have a spot in the team for this. But along with that, if a bowler can bat, it is always a bonus. I am currently working on my batting and have been doing well for the last two to three months,” he said.

“It so happens in games that you don’t get starts. So, if I do get a good start with the bat in a game, I will surely do my best to perform well with the bat and enjoy my performance. I have learnt a lot of new things here, I will work on them in the nets back home,” Brar told the media. He further added, “I will try to better my performance next year.”