Sports
Punjabi Cricketer Jiwanjot Singh Can Do No Wrong
HINDOL BASU
Mohali, Punjab
Punjab's Jiwanjot Singh can do no wrong.
After scoring a brilliant double-century against Hyderabad on his first-class debut the young Patiala lad followed it up with a century against Bengal.
Jiwanjot thus became the first Indian cricketer to score a double and then a century in his first two innings at the first-class level.
Closest to Jiwanjot's feat was Amol Muzumdar of Mumbai who had scored a double-century on his debut but could only score a fifty in his next innings.
Jiwanjot said that he was totally unaware of such a record.
"While batting I never knew that I'd be holding such a record. Scoring a double hundred on my Ranji debut and then following it up with a hundred definitely gives me satisfaction but my team is in a match-winning position, that's more important. I am happy that I could contribute to my team's score," said the young Punjab batsman.
Jiwanjot, who started from where he left against Hyderabad, added that he felt the pangs of nervous nineties.
"Once I reached 90, I got a bit tense but I managed to overcome it. Talking to Mayank (Sidhana) also helped. I am glad that I could achieve this feat. It's a dream come true for me," Jiwanjot said later.
Jiwanjot also gave credit to his partner Mayank Sidhana, with whom he was involved in a 224-run partnership.
"Mayank kept motivating me session by session. The ball was coming on to the bat nicely and I just went for my shots. Whenever I saw a loose ball, I went for my shots. Mayank on the other side kept encouraging me, and it was good to see him notch up a century himself."
Jiwanjot went onto score 158 and put Punjab firmly in command of their Ranji Trophy match against Bengal.
Jiwanjot's family has been flooded with congratulatory calls. Family members say that their son will improve his performance in the coming days. "He is very hardworking. He devotes hours daily to his practice and never missed even while he was not feeling well," said Kamaljeet Singh, father of Jiwanjot.
Family members said Jiwanjot started playing when he was 10 years and since then his dedication for the sport hasn't changed.
"Initially he started playing on our street with friends, then the school grounds, the college grounds and finally the PCA stadium, Patiala. The thing that has not changed is his love and dedication for cricket," said Kamaljeet.
[Courtesy: Times of India]
November 14, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), November 14, 2012, 1:12 PM.
Another star on the constellation! Congratulations and blessings for Jiwanjot, with more centuries ahead of you.
2: Karamjeet Singh (Chicago, Illinois, USA), November 15, 2012, 11:03 PM.
We look forward to the success of this young Sikh, Jiwanjot Singh. It is not the first time, but we definitely are waiting for a good hitter who can outshine Sidhu, etc. Good luck!