Who Is Rajandeep Singh? The School Bus Driver's Son Who Troubled India's Stars in the Nets

Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi all took turns in the nets at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on the eve of India's second T20I against West Indies. One of the bowlers they faced was a 24-year-old Jharkhand all-rounder whose name most fans had never heard.

What Happened in the Nets in Ranchi

India's top order was sending balls into the stands during practice. Rajandeep Singh, from a distance, looked a lot like Arshdeep Singh. A closer look showed another fast-bowling prospect making his mark. He bowled with confidence and discipline, occasionally beating the bat and drawing edges and miscued shots, and he earned praise from the batters themselves. He is not part of the India squad.

For Rajandeep, the session was as much about learning as impressing. "I got a chance to bowl to the senior players. I got to know what I can do better and what are the crucial things I need to work on," he told PTI. "I also got the experience of knowing that I can't bowl too loose. It was a good feeling to bowl today." The feedback gave him confidence too: "The batsmen were saying that I was bowling well. Sanju sir was also saying that I was bowling well."

A Jharkhand Cricketer With Jalandhar Roots

Rajandeep is the son of Kulwant Singh, a school bus driver, and Surinder Kaur. He left studies after Class 12 to focus entirely on cricket, and his family's finances nearly ended that plan. In 2016, he came close to walking away from the game. "I told them just give me one year and I went to represent Jharkhand U-16 side and since then I've been a regular," he recalled.

His family has since moved back to their native Jalandhar after the death of his grandmother, and his father still drives a school bus there. Rajandeep chose to stay in Jharkhand and keep chasing his career. "My family has full support and they want me to excel. There were difficult times, but things have fallen into place. My father still drives a school bus in Jalandhar and things have finally become normal. My full focus is now on cricket."

The Numbers That Put Him on the Radar

Rajandeep was part of Jharkhand's maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy-winning side, captained by Ishan Kishan.

• Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: 5 wickets in 8 matches, plus 200 runs in 7 innings at an average of 40 and a strike rate above 186
• Final-stage spell: 1/30 from four overs against Punjab, in a match Jharkhand won by six wickets after chasing 235 in 19 overs
• Jharkhand Premier League: 8 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 9.24
• CK Nayudu Trophy:an unbeaten 400 off 387 balls against Meghalaya

That last innings is the one that has put him on the radar of IPL scouts. Two or three franchises have reportedly called him for trials, though he is keeping his expectations in check. "I am not looking at it right now. It is good to be in a team, but I will focus on the upcoming season. I will focus on the trials and the matches. The domestic season is about to start, and I am ready for everything."

The Ishan Kishan Influence

Rajandeep credits Kishan, his captain in the title-winning campaign, with fixing something no coaching manual could. "In age-group cricket, it is mostly about your skills, but at the senior level you need more mental toughness. Ishan bhaiya gave me clarity and told me to enjoy my cricket. I was lacking that mental clarity earlier, but I have recovered it now."

Kishan also pushed him toward a clear role. "He had told me that if you want to be an all-rounder, you have to do well in both departments. He focused on that and did well in the CK Nayudu Trophy."

An Idol Who Bats Where He Does

His cricketing heroes are Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, and Dhoni in particular. "My idol is MS Dhoni. My batting order is also similar to him, so I learn a lot from him. Being on the field, I learn a lot from him." The Ranchi connection is hard to miss: he got his net session at Dhoni's home ground.

Where He Goes From Here

His goal is specific. "I have been told to play for the white-ball team, so I am preparing for that. I want to do well with my bowling. I have learnt a lot from bowling and I will try to continue improving." The next steps are the domestic season and those IPL trials, and that net session in Ranchi gave him a useful measuring stick against batters he's likely to meet again.