Punjabi singer Harrdy Sandhu was forced to shatter down his dream of playing cricket for India

Cricketers all around the world from the present, as well as the past generations, are very much blessed to have lived their most wonderful dreams of featuring in the national senior team for their respective countries. As they are still several many budding talents who were denied of the huge opportunity due to their own specific reasons.

One such personality is famous Punjabi pop singer Harrdy Sandhu who played the game at the junior level with many of the present Indian cricketers but was forced to switch his profession because of a sudden injury.

Harrdy played cricket for almost 10 years

Harrdy revealed that he has shared the dressing room with the current Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan at the Under 19 level and has also played with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma. But he was forced to leave the sport after pulling out an elbow injury in 2006, for which he subsequently travelled to Australia to receive proper treatment, but failed to return back to the game. During his stay in Australia, he used to sing songs while driving the taxi and then started developing a new profession.

“I played for around 10 years. I have played for the U-19 cricket team with Shikhar Dhawan. He was my roommate, and I have also played with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma. But in 2006, I had an elbow injury. I was a fast bowler and the injury was on my right arm.”

“I tried to get treatment here, but kuch hua nahi. I then decided to go to Australia to see good doctors and physiotherapists. I got a student visa and thought if my treatment is successful, I will come back to India and start playing again. Warna padhai karke, wahin settle ho jaunga. I was there for 11 months and in that period, I met a lot of doctors, par kuch hua nahi. Wahan taxi bhi chalayi.  Jab taxi mein koi nahi hota tha, tab gaata rehta tha,” said Sandhu as quoted by Deccan Chronicle.

I could have easily featured in the IPL

He was quite depressed with the fact that all his friends at the junior level of the game got selected by their respective franchises to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL), while he was nursing an injury in Australia. After returning from the injury, he once again started playing the game, but the injury woes couldn’t disappear as Harrdy once again suffered an injury. After that depressive happening, he finally decided to become a singer and leave the bright hopes of featuring in the Indian cricket team.

“During that time, IPL had started and all those who were junior to me, unka bhi selection ho gaya. I felt really bad. I could have easily played in IPL. Maine ghar pe bina bataye return ticket li India ki, socha ki agar ghar waale maan gaye toh reh jaunga, nahi maane toh wapas aa jaunga. Maine aake sabse pehle yahi try kiya ki mujhe IPL khelna hai chaahe kuch ho jaye. Then I met a Sri Lankan physiotherapist and started playing for Ranji, but during those matches, phir injury ho gayi. I left cricket then, and maine socha ab mujhe singing karni chahiye,” he added.