Ramandeep Singh, a hard-hitting batsman, had an incredible journey from being cut loose by the Mumbai Indians to playing a pivotal role in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 championship run. The Chandigarh native has given KKR credit for developing his career both technically and psychologically and opening up a number of aspects of his game.
Ramandeep’s time with the five-time champions was short after he was selected by the Mumbai Indians in 2022. After Hardik Pandya returned to MI, he played just five games before being cut before the 2024 IPL. After that, he helped Punjab win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with outstanding performances on the home circuit. KKR, who were already keeping tabs on his development, signed the all-rounder during this time.
“Everything has changed for me after I was selected by KKR. That practice match from our preseason camp prior to the IPL last year is still fresh in my mind. I cleared the ropes to win the game, and we needed six runs off two balls. After that, I had a lengthy conversation with Gautam Gambhir, the team mentor at the time. ‘We’ll back you no matter what’ was the first thing he told me. And I’m happy that I could support his conviction.
A lot of work has been done behind the scenes to bring me to where I am, and KKR has been instrumental in that effort. In Thane, former assistant coach Abhishek Nayar led endless workouts, often making me bat in the nets for three hours straight. “Nets or a match, I had never batted that long,” Ramandeep told ESPNcricinfo.
I received far more messages than usual: Ramandeep Singh
In KKR’s championship-winning season, the 27-year-old made an impression as a lower-order finisher, amassing 125 runs at a strike rate of more than 200. The right-hander played for India A in the Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup following the season. He was called up by India for the four-match T20I series in South Africa during the semi-final match against Afghanistan.
“My coach apparently called my dad after the game to congratulate him, and my dad was like, ‘for what? We lost the semi-final.’…” He didn’t know I was chosen. My dad started crying when my coach informed him that I had been called up to India. I had a lot more mails than usual when I turned on my phone after finishing the game. [There was more noise than usual] Thoda zyada hi baj raha tha. It was a wonderful sensation,” he remarked.
In the meantime, the Kolkata team paid INR four crore to retain Ramandeep ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction. His current season hasn’t gone as planned, though, as he has yet to bowl and has scored 29 runs off 23 balls, including a top score of 22.
“Being retained boosts confidence. Many clubs advised me, “Don’t get retained, we’ll pick you, we’re ready to go up to 9-10 crore,” before the auction. But to me, loyalty is really important. When I most needed a platform, KKR provided it. I recall Venky [Mysore, KKR chief executive] calling around the time retentions were to be made and asking, “You’re in our retention plans, what are you thinking?” In the end, it’s up to you; if you participate in the auction, we’ll attempt to RTM.
However, I informed him that I was glad to be kept. There’s no assurance that you’ll be on the same squad after you enter the auction, and I didn’t want to leave KKR. A couple of crores less didn’t matter to me. He came to the conclusion, “I wanted to honour their word.”
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