Pacer RP Singh bids adieu

Chandigarh, September 5

Left-arm pace bowler Rudra Pratap Singh, who shone for India in two big series across eight months in 2007-08, has retired from all forms of cricket at age 32.

More famous as RP, he played 82 matches across all formats for India between 2005 and 2011. Born in Rai Bareli, Singh played state cricket for Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, and league cricket for several T20 teams in the IPL. “Today as I hang my boots and call it a day I wish to remember and give thanks to each and everyone who made this journey possible,” Singh wrote on his Twitter page. “Even as I write this, there are conflicting emotions inside me. No matter how much one prepares for this day, there is no easy way to bid goodbye. But somewhere inside there is a voice that tells you — it’s time. And that for me is today.”

Singh had made his India debut exactly 13 years ago, in an ODI against Zimbabwe on September 4 in Harare. His Test debut was against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2006. On a flat track, in a match that had six centuries, Singh picked up 4/89 and 1/75 and was surprisingly named the Man of the Match.

The next year, he was impressive in England, picking up seven wickets in the first Test at Lord’s, which ended in a draw. He ended up with 12 wickets in the series, which India won 1-0. On India’s tour of Australia in 2007-08, Singh picked up 13 wickets in four Tests, including six in the Perth Test, which India won.

He played his last Test in 2011 when, overweight and slow, he was picked up for the Oval Test, in which he bowled 34 overs but failed to pick up a wicket as England racked up 591/6. It wasn’t his fault, though, that he had been picked up — he had been holidaying in Miami but was summoned to England as India, with their bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan injured, desperately searched for a swing bowling option.

When India won the inaugural T20 World Cup, he was the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets in seven matches.

Singh took 40 wickets in 14 Tests, 69 in 58 ODIs and 15 in 10 T20Is. In first class cricket, he finished with 301 wickets in 94 matches at an average of 30.57. Out of this total, 209 wickets were taken in the Ranji Trophy. Late in his career, he signed up to play for Gujarat and was part of the Ranji Trophy-winning team of 2016-17. — TNS