Who is Simranjeet Singh? UAE spinner once bowled to 12-year-old Gill in nets and will now face him in Asia Cup

Simranjeet Singh, who once bowled to India Test captain and T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill in nets, will now turn up for UAE in Asia Cup 2025 against India on Wednesday (Sep 10). Singh's journey to UAE was an unusual one which started in 2021 when the Covid-19 lockdown trapped him in the foreign country. Singh, however, accepted his fate and made the most it including fulfilling the criteria to be eligible for selection in the UAE's national team. The 35-year-old, however, still remembers bowling to a young Gill in the net at PCA stadium in Mohali about a decade ago.

Who is UAE spinner Simranjeet Singh?

Simranjeet, aged 35, hails from Ludhiana in Punjab. He used to practice at PCA stadium in Mohali where he says he bowled to 12-year-old Gill in the net.

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"I have known Shubman since he was a kid, but I don't know if he remembers me. It was around 2011-12 and Shubman must have been 11 or 12 at the max. We used to train at the PCA Academy in Mohali from 6am to 11am. Shubman would come accompanied by his father at around 11 am. Don't know if he would recognise me but during those days, I had bowled a lot to Shubman," said Singh as reported by news agency PTI.

How did Simranjeet end up playing for UAE?

After not getting breakthroughs for Punjab in domestic cricket, Simranjeet got an offer to practice in Dubai for about three weeks in April 2021. A Covid lockdown during the time forced him to stay in UAE for months and he eventually ended up staying there. During his time in UAE, he coached junior cricketers and played club cricket. After playing in domestic seasons, he was eligible for UAE selection.

Simranjeet got in touch with UAE coach Lalchand Rajput for a trial and eventually was picked up for the team as well as given a contract by Emirates Cricket Board. He'll be hoping to perform good against his home country in Asia Cup tie which are also the defending champions.