Shubman Gill. (Image Credit: ANI/ICC)
Simranjeet Singh’s travel to the Asia Cup 2025 have been packed with stories of resilience, chance, and sheer love for the sport. A left-arm spinner from Punjab, he bowled at the nets in Mohali to a 12 year old Shubman Gill, India’s vice captain and national sensation at the flick of a bat. He reflects fondly, ‘I have known Shubman since he was a kid, but I don’t know if he remembers me,’ as he looks on at their paths diverged but still parallel.
Although he had his early promise, he was a Ranji Trophy probable in 2017 and was a net bowler for Punjab’s IPL team, Simranjeet’s Indian cricket goals were never fulfilled. Then in 2021, Simran travelled to Dubai for a short training trip while India was grappling with a second wave. When he was forced into lockdown, he stayed and played club cricket, coached juniors, and developed a permanent existence in the UAE. After meeting residency requirements, he earned a trial with the UAE team under coach Lalchand Rajput, who praised his ability to ‘buy wickets with flight’ a vital weapon in T20 cricket. Simranjeet’s hard work has come full circle.
Simranjeet admits the moment is surreal and jokes that while his family once supported India, they’ll back UAE this time ‘The dream was to play for India, but now that I am playing for UAE, I think they will support UAE’. Simranjeet displayed perseverance after losing two years of contributions due to the pandemic, he made his international debut in 2024. He is one of the most productive bowlers that UAE has produced thus far having taken 15 wickets in 12 T20Is at an economy rate of less than six, including a truly impressive spell of 1/24 against Afghanistan. So now, on September 10, 2025 he faces not only a pillar of world cricket, but a childhood friend, a moment of extreme emotion and drama. Simranjeet’s story is more than just a primer to our match preview. It encapsulates adaptability; dreams never realised clouded by the pandemic now embraced again; and the serendipitous full circle that sport enables.
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