Prabhsimran backs Impact Player, says needs 'to do more' for India call-up

In a season where players have come down heavily on the Impact Player rule, Punjab Kings opener Prabhsimran Singh has backed the provision that the BCCI has indicated will remain in place for at least another year before undergoing a review.

"Speaking as a youngster, I see it as an opportunity," Prabhsimran said. "Some people do not like this because you can play more high-risk cricket. You can add one player to your team. You can bowl or bat, you can add anyone.

"But as a youngster, I think this is a very good opportunity. Because when I came here, it has been eight years now, I did not get many chances in the first four years. I used to sit outside and think [about] how I could get a chance to play. But because of Impact Player, opportunities have increased."

That added cushion in batting depth has also shaped how he approaches the game at the top. "The game has become so fast now," Prabhsimran argued. " Earlier we used to defend 180 or 170 and we used to do that. We can do it now as well but if you look at the percentages, scores have gone to 200 plus. To do that, I think you have to approach the Powerplay with an attacking approach.

"There is clarity from the team, the coach and the captain to go for it as clearly as we can. If we have to hit, then we have to go for it. It is not that difficult to reach 250 plus."

Under Shreyas Iyer, he says the messaging is simple. "When he was appointed as captain of the Punjab Kings and when our player-captain meeting happened, he gave me clarity and told me to play like I want and that he was seeing me as a senior player.

"I feel he's the best captain [I have played under] because if you haven't scored for a few matches, he'll come and talk to you, tell you there's no stress. There's so much backing that you can show what you're capable of."

Prabhsimran, one of PBKS's homegrown players, has spent his entire IPL career with the franchise, working his way up and now contributing in his own way to the leadership group. And being a wicket-keeper helps him further.

"If they have backed me, then it is my duty to get a chance to pay back," Prabhsimran said. "When it comes to leadership, as a domestic player, I am almost a captain. So I am used to it and I like it. I take it as a challenge. It is better for me to grow my game.

"As a wicketkeeper, I feel that the view of the match is the best. Because we can see everything from the wicket. Sometimes if the captain is on the boundary and there's so much crowd, you can't really understand what he's saying. That's where my role comes in, to check the fielding angles, to tell the field or to talk to the bowler, if he is saying something wrong or if that is our plan. I think that is a good thing and I feel that all these things help your game grow a lot."

The next step, of course, is playing for India. His Punjab teammate Abhishek Sharma, with whom he says he has a "healthy competition", is already there and Prabhsimran sees that as motivation as much as competition. With a flurry of openers awaiting their turn in the national set-up, Prabhsimran knows that more hard work awaits him.

"There's so much competition, you have to do more," Prabhsimran said. "Less is not enough. But if you look at it in terms of healthy competition, I think you will grow positively.

"[I] haven't had any talks with selectors but wherever there's an opportunity, I will try to do well. Playing for India A, you feel you are close to playing for India. If I do well there, my chance will come. Every time I don't get picked, I know what I am doing is not enough, I have to do more."

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