CHENNAI: Sometime in January this year, when Harnoor Singh Pannu walked out to bat for Punjab against Goa in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the 23-year-old was living his dream. Harnoor was joining his idol and India ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill who was standing at the other end.
For the longest time, Harnoor had watched and learnt from the 26-year-old from the sidelines in Punjab cricket. Now, the Punjab Kings star was out in the middle, batting alongside his hero. The partnership only lasted 2.1 overs and nine runs before Gill got out, but Harnoor stayed in the middle and put on a show in front of his idol, winning the match for Punjab. The left-hander smashed an unbeaten 94 from 90 balls, seeing the chase through for his team and winning the player of the match award.
Recalling the moment, the 23-year-old PBKS cricketer credits Gill for the influence he has had. "I think playing alongside Shubman was a dream for me, for sure. He has been always telling me to just make things simple and just believe in my game. As youngsters, we tend to make things complicated, this is a game. I think we should keep this game as simple as that. I have been nothing but the biggest fan of Shubman since the time I started playing this game," Harnoor told this daily.
Three months on, Harnoor will now be on the other side of the dressing room against Gill as Punjab Kings take on Gujarat Titans in their opening match of the IPL season. "I think there is going to be a lot of banter," Harnoor grinned. "It is going to be fun, but I back Punjab Kings to win," he added.
For someone who has come up the ranks rapidly during his teens, Harnoor's road to sharing the dressing room with Gill and being a part of Punjab Kings was not straightforward. After being a part of the World Cup winning U19 squad in 2022, Harnoor — he had moved to Chandigarh when it got the BCCI affiliation in 2018 — was not able to become a regular in the state team. So when the opportunity came to move back to Punjab, the youngster took it with both hands. "I think my biggest motto was to play the Punjab league. That was one of the biggest leagues in India. Even after playing in the U19 World Cup, I wasn't getting enough opportunities from Chandigarh. So I think that was the only reason," said Harnoor.
Soon came the opportunity at Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup, where he shined and it paved the way for him to get into PBKS before the IPL 2025. While he still waits for his IPL debut, Harnoor learnt from the sidelines with PBKS and was able to implement it during the domestic season. "It's just very small things. Making sure to stay in the present and working in a smart manner. Quality work matters a lot to me now. That's the biggest thing. I have been quite involved in these breathing exercises. It has helped. One of the things would be the ability to bounce back. I think that's what differentiates good players from great players," Harnoor explained the change in mindset.
Hailing from a sporting background — his father Birinder Singh played age-group cricket, uncle Harminder Singh is a former Punjab cricketer and his coach and his grandfather Rajinder Singh was also involved in the sport — Harnoor has always had the support of his family through the tough times. After his first stint with PBKS, Harnoor finally bought his first car and shared a picture of it with his family on social media. The translated version of his caption read: "Those who taught me how to hold a bat, today I am in my first car with them."
Ask him what it means, Harnoor wore a big smile. "My family has been the biggest support of course. It also comes with a lot of cons. Imagine you're not getting enough runs and you have so many family members having so many opinions," he laughs, before adding, "But in the end, it's all good. I think it's always fun to have someone to talk with about your game. When everything is going well, then it would be my dad and my granddad. They are one of those people who would never go against me even if nothing is going in my way. Secondly, my coach and my uncle, Harminder Pannu. I think he has been someone who knows my game better than anyone else. Whenever I have to have a word with someone, I usually talk to him. I think it means the world to me and I think I will be the luckiest to be born in this family, for sure."
If 2025 was Harnoor's first taste of the big league with PBKS, the youngster has come back stronger and better. And whenever an opportunity comes knocking, he will be ready for it.
