Domestic giant Yashpal Singh signs for Manipur after unceremonious exit from Tripura

Yashpal Singh a seasoned Indian player in the domestic circuit has been signed by Manipur as their first professional cricketer and the 36-year-old is looking forward to his new stint with the Ranji Trophy debutants. For Delhi-born cricketer, however, Manipur is not the first north-eastern side as he has played for Tripura for two years prior to his movement.

Singh’s transition has not been a happy story though. Despite scoring decently for Tripura, the 117 first-class games veteran was shown the door unceremoniously. In fact, his last List A match (Vijay Hazare Trophy) for Tripura played against Uttar Pradesh in February he hit a 110 off just 104 balls and was standing as his team’s only hope in a losing cause.

In his last first-class game (Ranji Trophy) for Tripura which Yashpal played against Mumbai in November last year, he scored 33 and 82 even as his side crashed to a 10-wicket defeat. He also hit a 113 not out against Himachal Pradesh in Vijay Hazare Trophy in February, standing tall among the ruins.

Yet, he was struggling to find a place although he had no plans to leave Tripura. “I was about to continue with Tripura only. I was expecting a call. I don’t know what happened from their side. I couldn’t understand what went wrong. I came to know in the middle of August, and that too, once I asked them,” Sportstar quoted Yashpal as saying.

Having made his debut in 2001-02, the batter has scored 8,225 runs in 117 first-class matches with 18 hundreds and at an average of 48 plus. In 100 List A matches, he has scored 3,959 runs with nine hundreds and also at an average of 48 plus. The right-hand batsman also bowls medium pace and has 61 first-class wickets with two fifers and the best bowling figures of 5 for 37.

As a senior player, I deserve an explanation

“They didn’t cite any reason. I was quite surprised. Being a senior cricketer, who is playing for 16 years, I deserve an explanation. So, when the Manipur offer came, I thought of taking it up. It’s a new team and people are also new. I could help them with my experience,” Yashpal who is expected to serve as the captain of the new side said.

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