The Curious Case Of Harpreet Singh Bhatia

Harpreet Singh Bhatia has become a sensation and a matter of pride in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. This devoted cricketer carries himself calmly on and off the field exhibiting exuberant form. His dedication to cricket is true blue which is reflected in his performance and manner. Starting his career in 2008 for Madhya Pradesh, Bhatia is now leading Chhattisgarh after a switch in 2018. Even with uncountable performances in recent years, curiously, Bhatia has been left out from teams constructed by the BCCI.

In the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, Bhatia had an exceptional outing with the bat. In a total of 7 innings, Bhatia hit 516 runs with an unbeaten innings. He effortlessly scored 4 fifties and 2 centuries. With 46 boundaries and 13 sixes to his name, Bhatia scored at an unreal average of 86. Only once he failed to pass the 50 run mark, such was his run making hunger. 

In the first match, he scored 66 runs against Haryana. The skipper hit a half-century against Arunachal Pradesh and asserted his whip hand against Tamil Nadu by hitting 121 runs. The fourth match witnessed Bhatia’s feat of 120 runs against Bihar. He scored 77 runs while being pitted against Goa. In the 7 the match wherein Bhatia opposed Andhra Pradesh, he closed the last innings with a score of 65 runs in 54 balls.

Prior to his incredible run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Bhatia had a decent outing in the in the Mushtaq Ali trophy as well. He scored 49 off 40 balls vs Tamil Nadu, 60 off 42* vs Chandigarh and 47 off 37 vs Odisha and was clearly the leading batter from the team. 

Despite his showstopping performances, Harpreet is unfortunately under the shadow. After a stupendous 2021 season as well, Bhatia was in the unlucky bunch to not get a chance to compete in the Duleep Trophy.

14 Years in the circle with an average of 45 in First Class and List A games, Harpreet Singh Bhatia has established himself as a force to reckon with in the domestic circuit. His quest to represent India and compete in the IPL franchise still carries on. With every innings though, it seems he is getting closer to his ultimate goal. 

Maybe, some things are worth the wait…..