The high price of errors: How a mix-up cost Harpreet Singh Bhatia 10 years of IPL career
Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s journey to the top level of cricket has been a long and difficult one. As a young player, he joined the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010 along with fellow U19 players Mandeep Singh and Jaydev Unadkat. While the other two players got a chance to play, Harpreet never got an opportunity to bat during his time with the team.
He later moved to Pune Warriors in 2011, but his only game ended in disappointment when he fell to Sunil Narine. Despite these setbacks, Harpreet did not lose heart and continued to work hard, scoring runs and piling up centuries in domestic cricket.
In 2017, just days before the IPL auction, Harpreet was the top scorer in the Mushtaq Ali tournament with 211 runs. He was quietly confident of his chances but a mix-up by an overworked desk person at ANI changed his fate. The news agency had erroneously reported that Harpreet was arrested for an incident at Andheri station, when in fact it was Harmeet Singh who had been taken into custody. Though a clarification was later issued, it was too late. Franchise officials, wary of any negative publicity, decided to give Harpreet a miss.
Although he was later picked up as a replacement for Sarfaraz by Royal Challengers Bangalore, he never got a chance to play. It was a crushing blow to a young man who had been fighting to get back to the IPL after his early setbacks.
Despite the setbacks, Harpreet did not give up. This season, he finally got his break with Punjab, and after a nervy start, he showed his worth with a crucial 41 off 27 in his last match against Mumbai. It was a proud moment for Harpreet, who had been waiting for over 10 years to prove his mettle at the highest level.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s journey in cricket has been one of perseverance, hard work, and determination. He has shown that setbacks and disappointments are a part of the game, but with patience and resilience, success can be achieved. Harpreet has finally got his place in the sun, and few deserve it more.
Read this thread by Joy Bhattacharjya for more info on Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s painful journey:
Can a sub-editor in a news agency cost a cricketer six years at the elite level? It actually happened.
Feb 2017, just days before the auction. Harpreet Singh Bhatia was quietly confident of his chances at the IPL auction as the top scorer in the Mushtaq Ali tournament with 211 pic.twitter.com/SXK2FWSI09— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) April 23, 2023
