What happened to Gurkeerat Singh Mann? KXIP batsman slides after IPL success & India debut

Indian cricketer Gurkeerat Singh Mann made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2012 for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) as an all-rounder who bats lower down the order and played many notable cameos for his team as a finisher. The cricketer shot to fame in IPL 2013 through a sensational fielding effort that earned him the Catch of the Season award. On the back of some strong outings for KXIP and an impactful record in both First-class and List A cricket for Punjab and India A, Gurkeerat Singh Mann finally earned his Team India cap in January 2016 for ODIs in Australia. While he played three ODIs on the tour, the right-handed batsman has not been considered for any international assignment since then. Here is a look at some insights regarding what happened to Gurkeerat Singh Mann and a roundup of his cricketing career.

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What happened to Gurkeerat Singh Mann? What has the cricketer been up to?

To answer the ‘What happened to Gurkeerat Singh Mann?' query, it is important to know the happenings in his life besides his initial IPL career for KXIP. The Punjab-born cricketer made his First-class, List A and T20 debuts all during the 2011-12 domestic season. A strong outing for India A against Australia A and Bangladesh A in late 2015 brought him in contention for the prestigious Team India selection. Gurkeerat Singh Mann was selected in India’s 15-man squad for the 2016 limited-overs series in Australia. However, he scored just 13 runs in three innings, failing to make his rare opportunities count and he was not considered for national selection thereafter.

Gurkeerat Singh Mann was released by KXIP after IPL 2017. He was later roped in by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2018 but did not feature in the playing XI throughout the tournament. He was then picked to play for the star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise at the IPL 2019 auction where he was once again omitted from the playing XI for the majority of the season. He is now set to join the RCB camp once again where he will play and train alongside the likes of AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal and Indian captain Virat Kohli. Gurkeerat Singh Mann was last seen in action for Punjab in February earlier this year during the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season.

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What happened to Gurkeerat Singh Mann? Career stats of ex-KXIP player

From his IPL debut in 2012 to the most recent edition in 2019, Gurkeerat Singh Mann played 33 matches and scored 440 runs. At an average of 18.33, he has scored his runs at a strike-rate of 128.65. In the upcoming IPL 2020 season, the 30-year-old will be looking to leave a mark with a string of impactful performances, should he gets the backing of his skipper Virat Kohli and team management to feature in the playing XI.

IPL career aside, Gurkeerat Singh Mann has also played 56 First-class and 85 List A matches. The attacking batsman holds a healthy average in the mid-40s and is known for scoring runs at a rapid pace in both formats. In 84 First-class innings, he has scored 3,355 runs at a strike-rate of 81.47 with seven centuries and 20 fifties. In 77 List A innings, the lower-order batsman has stockpiled 2,895 runs while striking at 87.62 runs per 100 balls. With a ball in hand, Gurkeerat Singh Mann has picked up 91 wickets across formats.

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Image credit: IPLT20.com