Every IPL season throws up a player who not only ignites the imagination of fans but also forces the selectors to sit up and take notice.
In 2025, that player is undoubtedly Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab Kings's pint-sized powerhouse whose explosive batting, sharp game sense and newfound maturity have made him the breakout Indian star of the tournament.
From fleeting glimpses of promise to consistent match-winning performances, his transformation has been both compelling and complete. The latest proof of it came at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala, where he bludgeoned a breathtaking 91 off just 48 deliveries against Lucknow Super Giants.
His innings, laced with six boundaries and seven sixes, came at a scorching strike rate of 189.58 and was the cornerstone of Punjab's mammoth total of 236 for 5.
"I started well, I had a lot of confidence from my last innings," Prabhsimran said at the mid-innings break.
"I got a chance early on and I was able to capitalise. There's no strategy as such; I'm playing the ball on its merit. I felt I could take a bit of time after the powerplay. When you get set, when you have already scored 30-35, you need to convert it into something big."
That maturity has defined his season. With 437 runs from 11 innings, at an average of 39.72 and strike rate of over 170, Prabhsimran is not only PBKS's highest run-getter but also the most consistent Indian wicketkeeper-batter in IPL 2025.
His tally includes four half-centuries, his best being the Dharamsala 91, which could have easily been a century had he not fallen to an ambitious switch-hit.
He has produced a string of impactful scores this season: 69(34 balls), 42(23), 30(15), 33(17), 83(49), 54(36) and 91(48). He joins K L Rahul (2018) as the only Punjab batter to notch up three consecutive fifties in a single IPL season.
The turning point of the Dharamsala knock came early. Prabhsimran took on the bowlers from the outset, attacking nine of his first 15 deliveries. He had a stroke of luck when Nicholas Pooran dropped a skier on 22, and he punished LSG immediately by lofting a similar delivery over the straight boundary. That short memory and unwavering intent are hallmarks of his new avatar.
Even a brief lull in the middle phase -- when he went from 45 off 24 to 53 off 35 -- didn't derail him. He switched gears again, blasting 38 runs off his last 13 deliveries to finish with 91. At the other end, Shreyas Iyer continued his impressive reinvention. Once criticized for his low strike rate, Iyer now scores at 163 and averages 44 -- a leap from his earlier IPL figures of 125 and 32.
Prabhsimran and Shreyas stitched together a 78-run stand off 47 balls, dismantling LSG's bowling plans. Avesh Khan, struggling for form, was torn apart. Pulled, driven and flicked with disdain, Avesh conceded 57 runs in his spell, his misery compounded by sloppy fielding that gifted PBKS at least 15 extra runs.
Sunil Joshi, PBKS’ spin coach, credited the positive team culture, “He has been more matured this season. It’s all about confidence. The positive environment with Ricky [Ponting] and the coaching staff has really done well for him.”
Indeed, Ponting's role in nurturing Prabhsimran cannot be overstated. Former Aussie opener and commentator Matthew Hayden recently recalled a telling pre-season chat, “I met Ricky in Ahmedabad before the season and he said, ‘Haydos, I have found a gem!’ Ricky doesn’t get excited easily -- that’s how impressed he was.”
Punjab Kings's batting blitz didn’t end with Prabhsimran. Shashank Singh added a fiery 33 off 15, while quick cameos from Marcus Stoinis and Nehal Wadhera ensured a finish well above par. Of the 16 sixes in the innings, 13 came off LSG’s pacers, underlining their inability to cope with raw aggression.
LSG’s chase never took off. Arshdeep Singh produced a powerplay masterclass, removing Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran to leave the visitors reeling. While Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad added some respectability to the total with an 81-run stand, the damage was long done. Mayank Yadav, once hailed as India’s fastest bowling prodigy, conceded 60 runs in four overs in his comeback game, a sign that his rhythm and confidence are still rebuilding post-rehab.
Yet, through all the chaos, one name stood out: Prabhsimran Singh. For years, he’s been a domestic dynamo, scoring freely in white-ball cricket without quite breaking through to the national team. Despite crossing the 1000-run mark in the IPL, he’d often been relegated to the periphery of selection debates.
That is no longer the case. Prabhsimran has evolved into a complete T20 batter: fearless in the Powerplay, composed through the middle overs, and ferocious at the death. He handles both spin and pace with equal confidence and adjusts his tempo based on match situations.
With Rishabh Pant lacking form, Ishan Kishan sidelined and Sanju Samson injured, the wicketkeeping slot in India’s T20 squad is wide open. KL Rahul, now donning Delhi Capitals colours, has quietly amassed 371 runs, but his conservative strike rate continues to divide opinion. On pure form and impact, Prabhsimran deserves to be in that conversation.
Social media is already buzzing with support: “He’s the best Indian wicketkeeper-batter this season,” one fan tweeted.
Another wrote, “If consistency and strike rate matter, Prabhsimran has to wear the India cap next.”
If his form continues through the business end of the IPL, he could very well find himself not just as a key player for Punjab Kings but as a new weapon in India’s T20 arsenal.
The selectors have always had an eye for emerging talent, and this time Prabhsimran’s case is too compelling to ignore. The IPL has provided the stage for him to shine, and now it’s time for India to take notice.
© 2025