The story of Punjab Kings spinner Harpreet Brar is a lesson in loyalty.
Despite being good, the left-arm spinner doesn’t get as many opportunities at the franchise, especially since 2025, but he stays back and doesn’t look for stints with other franchises. And he doesn’t complain either.
He joined the Punjab franchise in 2019; it was known as Kings XI Punjab back then. To date, he has played 50 matches for them and has taken 35 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.98. This season, he has played just one game, and he returned figures of 0/25 in his four overs against Rajasthan Royals, probably the most threatening batting line-up of the season. Some of Brar’s numbers are just astounding.
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Since 2021, his economy in the middle overs — from 7th to 16th — is 7.17 and only Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders is better than him at 6.40 with a criterion of minimum 500 balls. Can you believe that? In a league that is known for its high-quality batting, Brar’s economy rate in those overs is barely over 7. Even Axar Patel, R Ashwin and Varun Chakaravarthy trail him in that list.
But despite his consistent performances, since last season, he has not been used much. He had played 8 games last year. Rest assured, many a player will lose their heart and plan an exit, but not Brar. That’s why he is a lesson in loyalty.
You have to give it to him!
“There are 25 people in the squad but only 12 can play,” Brar told ESPNcricinfo. “But you go to the ground expecting you are playing every match. That keeps you mentally prepared. If you don’t get a chance, you start preparing for the next game. I think that helps me perform whenever I get an opportunity.”
There is more. Since 2021, against left-handed batsmen, Brar has been the most economical left-arm finger spinner at 8.05, with the criterion of minimum 50 balls, ahead of Krunal Pandya and Mitchell Santner.
Talking about his approach against left-handed batters, the 30-year-old said: “Every left-arm spinner has the same plan: not to bowl in their arc and try to get them off strike. Yes, it is easier for a left-hand batter to play a left-arm spinner but if I want to play for India, then it shouldn’t matter whether a right-hander is on strike or a left-hander.
“We have a lot of left-hand batters in our team: Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Pannu, Cooper Connolly. When I bowl to them in the nets, I see what deliveries they attack, what kind of fields I can set, how I can give them a single, how I can bowl a dot ball. If there is a chance of getting hit, there is also a chance of taking a wicket.”
And finally, to cap it off, since 2021, no one has won more Man-of-the-Match awards than Brar at the Punjab franchise. Loyalty is a rare trait, and Brar should be applauded for this. Hopefully, in the rest of the sesaon, there will be many more opportunities coming his way.