SA vs IND: Ramandeep Singh makes T20I debut in Centurion, gets cap from Hardik Pandya

Young all-rounder Ramandeep Singh is making his T20I debut for India in the 3rd T20I against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 13, Wednesday. The youngster received his cap from none other than the star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Ramandeep replaced Avesh Khan in India’s playing XI for the 3rd T20I. The 27-year-old came into the limelight for his explosive knocks in IPL 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders in their title-winning campaign. He was included in India’s T20I squad for the four-match T20I series against South Africa. Ramandeep was also retained by the KKR franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

He was among the 6 players retained, which included Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy. In 14 matches, Ramandeep scored 125 runs at a staggering strike rate of over 201.61 and flourished in his role as a finisher. He made his IPL debut in 2022 for Mumbai Indians and played five matches for them. The pace-bowling all-rounder has been a top performer for his domestic team, Punjab. He has played a crucial role for Punjab in last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title run.

Ramandeep Singh makes debut

Rinku was retained for a hefty sum of Rs 13 crore, while Varun, Narine, and Russell were retained for Rs 12 crore each. Harshit and Ramandeep were signed under the uncapped player category for Rs 4 crore each.

Overall, Ramandeep has played 57 T20s and in 37 innings he has scored 544 runs at a strike rate of 170 with the highest score being 64. In the 19 innings that Ramandeep has bowled, he has taken 16 wickets at an average of just over 16. He also boasts of an economy of 7.86. Barring his all-round heroics, Ramandeep has also been a gun fielder.

He produced a brilliant moment for India A vs Pakistan A during their Emerging Asia Cup clash on October 19. His diving catch off Yasir Khan, which turned a certain boundary into a wicket, left spectators at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman awestruck. Ramandeep’s athletic effort came at a crucial moment in Pakistan A’s 183-run chase, effectively turning the game in India A’s favour.