IPL5: Mandeep Singh will don the blue in near future reckons David Hussey – Cricket News Update
David Hussey, skipper Kings XI Punjab, appreciated Mandeep Singh, the 20-year-old opening batsman who played a sizzling innings of 75 runs against Deccan Chargers on Tuesday, May 8, 2012.
Hussey claimed that it is only a matter of time before the youngster, from Jalandhar, will represent the Indian national team in all three formats of the game.
Lavishing praise on the youngster, who’s innings helped Punjab crush Chargers by 25 runs, the skipper said, “I thought our batters set the tone, Mandeep is going from strength to strength. He got something special out there. I
think he's a future player in all three forms for India.”
Mandeep was declared Man of the Match for his belligerent batting. The 20-year-old, who has scored 359 runs for Punjab in the tournament, thanked his skipper for showing faith in him.
At the post-match presentation, Mandeep said, “Hussey always supports the youngsters. He and Gilchrist have shown great faith in me. I am very satisfied with my knock. I have always wanted to bat till the 15-16th over. I just wanted
to bat normally like I have been doing in the whole tournament. We have to keep winning the rest of the games.”
Mandeep’s 48-ball 75 propelled Kings XI Punjab to a massive total of 170 runs. However, Deccan Chargers, the team languishing at the bottom of the points table, did not go down without a fight.
At one stage during their innings, Chargers looked in control with 70 runs on board and eight wickets in hand. However, Hussey showed his utility with the ball and took the wickets of Cameron White and Daniel Harris in one over,
which sealed the fate of the match.
When asked why he does not bowl more often for his IPL side, Hussey said, “We have two better spinners than me in the team, so more than happy with that.”
Chargers, the Hyderabad based franchise, have already lost the chance of making it into the play-offs of IPL. However, Punjab is still in contention for a place and their chances of making it the final four are heightened with
the win. Punjab now requires three more wins from four games to qualify for the play-offs.