Meet Harry Singh, son of former India cricketer who took field for England in 1st Test vs Sri Lanka

Lancashire's Harry Singh, along with his teammates Charlie Barnard and Kesh Fonseka, was chosen as the 12th man for England's opening Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in Manchester. Harry, the son of former Indian cricketer RP Singh Senior, made an early appearance in the Test as a substitute after England opted to bowl first.

During the post-lunch session, Harry once again stepped in when Harry Brook briefly left the field in the 37th over.

RP Singh Senior, a left-arm fast bowler who represented India in the 1980s, played two ODIs against Australia in 1986 and had a successful domestic career. He participated in 59 first-class matches, taking 150 wickets and scoring 1413 runs. His final competitive match was in the Duleep Trophy in 1991, where he played for Central Zone against North Zone. After retiring, RP Singh Senior transitioned to coaching and eventually moved to England in the late 1990s, where he began working with Lancashire County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Harry Singh has been steadily advancing in his own cricketing journey, making his List A debut for Lancashire earlier this year in the One-Day Cup. In his seven matches, the 20-year-old has shown promise, although his full potential has yet to be realized.

Proud day for @lancscricket with Charlie Barnard, Kesh Fonseka and Harry Singh on 12th man duties for England. 

Enjoy the experience, lads! 

#RedRoseTogether | #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/T9SabVmgIN

— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) August 21, 2024

He has scored 87 runs at an average of 12.42, with a strike rate of 64.44 and a top score of 25. Additionally, Singh has made contributions with the ball, taking two wickets with his off-breaks.

Singh's potential was first recognized in 2022 when he was chosen to represent England's U19 team in their home series against Sri Lanka. In an interview with Lancashire CC, Harry shared insights into his early cricketing experiences in England after signing a rookie contract with the club at the age of 18.

“I started playing cricket at the age of four, joined Lancashire’s pathway system at eight and have been on the Lancs Academy since I was 15 - so it has been a long journey for me to reach this point," Harry had said.

The young player has showcased his talent as an opening batsman for Lancashire 2nd XI. It will be interesting to see if Harry can secure a spot on the English national team in the coming years.

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