Harmeet 2.0 dares to dream again

On the eve of their much anticipated semi-final clash against the Unmukt Chand-led Silicon Valley Strikers, Harmeet Singh was informed about the news of Strikers flying in former West Indies fast bowler, Fidel Edwards for the marquee game. "Phod denge" was Harmeet's instantaneous response before beginning to question the grounds of Edwards' inclusion directly into the finals weekend. Harmeet knew Edwards still had the legs to bowl at 140 clicks, which could be troubling to many in America. However, Harmeet turned down the dissenting voices around him by exuding fortitude typical of a Sardar. Edwards eventually went for 52 in his 4 the next day.

It is that undaunting spirit that has still kept him relevant in the eyes of many who saw him lift the U19 WC trophy exactly 10 years ago in August 2012. After the high of the World Cup win, Harmeet has largely had to deal with travails of life. Over the course of the decade, he underwent a newsroom trial that thwarted his ascend as a cricketer, gave up on his dream of wearing an India cap (with his move to the USA), something understood as a thing of inevitability by dozens of cricket experts and lost his mom while being 5000 miles away from her.

"It was a feeling of redemption. Me and the other professionals like me have come to the US to make a mark. It's been a tough ride for me personally, I still haven't been able to go back to Mumbai. I did have some flashback moments after the last ball was bowled. It felt like it was scripted to happen" said a tearful Harmeet after leading his side, the Seattle Thunderbolts, to their maiden Minor League Cricket T20 title.

"I learned a lot after the trials and tribulations of 2013 and the mental trauma I was under. I stopped crying over spilt milk and felt extremely fortunate and grateful whenever I have gotten to play cricket after that day. It is not that I only have to be able to play for India to love the sport. After that whatever cricket I have played, be it Ranji trophy or even non-descript games in places like Kolhapur, its always been with unrelenting intensity. With a desire to win everything" added Harmeet.

Turning over a new leaf, Harmeet is now a serious all round white ball cricketer. He has been a revelation with the bat this season, smoking 30 sixes off 141 deliveries. His-six hitting ability defies his physique. His assault of 45* off 13 balls to have the Thunderbolts scurry to their chase of 111 under less than 8 overs in their final league game helped them book a playoff berth. Thunderbolts were almost left to bury their playoff dreams, but that crusading innings from the captain himself rallied the team to go the distance.

Having given up the red ball game. Harmeet has made sizable tweaks to his action that had glaring similarities to the great Bishan Singh Bedi. He caught the eye of the pundits early on with his fluid action, that gave him the ability to release the ball with languid ease. Adhering to the demands of the T20 game, he now loads up in a more conventional way, employs a slightly more round arm action and exploits the different angles and release points to beguile the batsmen. While being among the top wicket-takers in the past two seasons, his economy of 5.25 per over across two years speaks volumes about the control with which he operates.

With a healthy crowd in attendance at the finals weekend in Morrisville, there was a spring in his step. His wizardry is made to dazzle at the bigger stage. His stigma almost made him an untouchable commodity within the Indian cricket circles, but at 28, with age on his side and a dogfight among leagues world over to grab the right T20 talent, Harmeet 2.0 can dare to dream again, dazzle again.