VRV relishes special hat-trick with Punjab

Mohali: Former Test cricketer Vikram Rajvir Singh considers this as one of his best “cricketing days”. Considering he’s played Test cricket for India it may sound strange but donning the coach’s hat, VRV Singh capped off the domestic season with three titles in BCCI’s under-23 competitions. Punjab first won the one-day title in January followed by the four-day CK Nayudu Trophy and recently won the CK Nayudu Trophy winners’ versus Rest of India (ROI) match to end the season on a high.

“I am enjoying the role of being the coach. Punjab cricket has given me a lot. In a way, I am giving back to the state which provided me the platform where I could showcase my skills and get into the Indian team. My team had brilliant players who worked relentlessly the whole season maintaining fitness throughout,” said 40-year-old Singh, who called time on his playing career in 2019 after five Tests, two ODIs, and 29 first-class matches.

Punjab won the U-23 title on the basis of first innings lead against ROI which concluded at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

In the one-day U-23 tournament, Punjab had beaten Gujarat in the final and overpowered Mumbai in the CK Nayudu Trophy final to emerge victorious.

Post-retirement, SIngh had not envisioned himself as being a coach. However, as soon as UT Cricket Association (UTCA) got BCCI’s affiliation, the new state unit was quick to rope Singh as head coach of their senior men’s team. Five years down the line, Singh is making most of his cricket expertise and training methods.

“That was a good break for me. I learnt a lot in that first year of my coaching career. Every season I have to improve and upgrade so that I can give new insights to the players,” felt Singh, who is now BCCI Level II coach and has also been attached withthe National Cricket Academy camps in the past as a bowling coach.

The U-23 Punjab team’s success has not come instantly. After spending two seasons as head coach of the state team, the results started to come in his third season as the head coach. Interestingly, Singh, being the head coach of UTCA’s senior men’s team for two successive years, was dropped for this role in the third season. He did not coach any state team that year and wore different hats to gain experience. In that year he was a cricket expert, a scout for Punjab Kings for IPL and had also ventured into cricket tournaments playing as the veteran.

“Life comes full circle. I like to take things as they come. I am happy with the way things happened. Seeing my team win and dominate was the best feeling. These are the moments we live for. Cricket has been my life and I enjoy mentoring cricketers,” added Singh, whose name was doing the rounds for the role of head coach of the Punjab senior men’s team when the domestic season began but former Indian cricketer and Mumbai’s Wasim Jaffer was named as head coach. Regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the country once, Singh made his India debut in 2006.

He was also with the Punjab franchise Kings XI Punjab in IPL during the inaugural season and now is a part of the Punjabi commentary team in the IPL.

PCA president Amarjeet Mehta has announced a reward of ₹80 lakh for the winning team and support staff.