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The most impactful T20I performer: Who is Virandeep Singh? | The Express Tribune
The Malaysian all-rounder became the first cricketer to score 3,000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20Is
KARACHI:
Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh, former captain and flamboyant all-rounder’s goal is to transcend beyond the label of associate cricketer and his specialty is delivering impactful performances.
He recently became the first all-rounder to score 3,000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20Is. He has the most Player of the Match awards under his belt in the shortest format of the game with 22.
“The reality is, as an associate cricketer, those records don’t carry the same weight in the eyes of the world,” he lamented. “Cricket is cricket, no matter the level, but the value attached to performances is much lower for us,” said Singh during an exclusive interview.
The 26-year-old is also the fifth-fastest batter to reach 3,000 T20I runs, achieving the milestone in just 98 innings.
The wicket-keeper made history by becoming the youngest player to represent his country at the international level, at just 15 years of age. He transitioned from a bowler to a hard-hitting batter.
Still, he remains in the shadows, struggling to gain the recognition he deserves.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singh was introduced to cricket through his father, who had played the game in school.
Initially, more inclined toward football, he began playing cricket in primary school, following in his brother’s footsteps.
At just ten years old, he joined the Royal Selangor Club, getting his first taste of leather-ball cricket.
Although, he didn’t love the game at first, India’s triumph in the 2011 World Cup ignited his passion for cricket.
He dreamed of representing his own country on the world stage, from that point on.
Destined to play
His natural ability, hard work, and consistent performances set him on a remarkable journey and at 13, he was selected for the Malaysia U-16, at 14, he had made the Malaysia U-19 team, and at 15, he was selected for the senior team.
In age-group cricket, Singh delivered a series of impressive performances with both bat and ball, earning him a call-up to selection matches, which eventually landed him in the national team. The selection, however, came with a whirlwind of emotions and drama.
“Malaysia had a tour to Dubai for the ACC Premier Cup. I got called up for the selection games and scored a couple of fifties, which earned me a spot in the top 18 as a bowler. I was in the reserve four, not traveling with the team,” he recalled.
“Then, during training, one of my teammates twisted his ankle during a fitness drill, and I was told I’d be traveling with the team as his replacement. I was over the moon.”
But just as quickly, his excitement faded because another player was chosen in his place at the last moment.
Still, Singh refused to lose hope. Fate intervened again when one of the players was denied entry into the country, paving the way for his debut.
In his first outing, batting at number five, he scored 23 runs off 17 deliveries.
“I wasn’t really nervous,” he said. “It was easier because I was too young to think about the consequences. When you’re young, you’re fearless.”
Getting selected for the national team was just the beginning. In an age of fast-paced T20 cricket, Singh was a more traditional, steady batter, having played a few 20-over games at the junior level. He soon realized he needed to adapt to the demands of the modern game.
“My role back then was to bat for long periods and be the guy who finished games for the team. I played plenty of innings where I’d face over 100 balls and score barely 50 runs, which worked for the longer formats at that time,” he shared.
Malaysia’s status-change spelt new role for Singh
When Malaysia gained T20I status in 2019, everything changed. He knew scoring runs was not enough; creating impact was essential.
“Teams look for that quick-fire 40 off 20 balls, rather than run-a-ball 50,” he shared.
“This form of cricket didn’t come naturally to me. In the beginning, I struggled a lot. I even remember crying to my psychologist, saying,
‘I’m just not made for T20 cricket.’ I worked incredibly hard, spent hours with my coach, and even then, I wasn’t happy with my strike rate.
“I told myself that if I wanted to break into elite leagues and make a name for myself, I had to evolve and play a different brand of cricket.”
Singh’s evolution
Singh, a left-arm slow bowler, evolved his game and transformed himself into an explosive batter who could bowl handy overs at any stage of the game, the perfect recipe for a T20 all-rounder.
The Malaysian star admires Virat Kohli’s mental strength and AB de Villiers’ sheer skill, but his biggest inspiration is Australia’s power-hitter Tim David.
The Aussie, who previously played for Singapore, used the Pakistan Super League as a platform to catch the attention of Australia’s selectors.
“I really admire David because of the way he has transformed himself. I remember watching him play for Singapore early on, and now to see him evolve into such an explosive, in-demand batsman is incredible,” Singh said.
“There’s even a video of him absolutely smashing Malaysia in a game — he scored 90-odd in around 30 balls. I was the wicket-keeper that day, so I had the best seat in the house. Even though my bowlers were getting taken apart, I loved watching him bat. It was a special innings and a reminder of just how good he is.”
David’s story gives hope to Singh and many associate cricketers, though he acknowledges the vast difference in exposure and opportunity he got, having played his initial years of cricket in Australia. “I’d love to share a dressing room with him someday, there’s so much to learn from a player like David.”
Now, Singh has begun to gain international attention, earning contracts in global leagues such as GT20 Canada and the UAE’s ILT20, where he has shared the dressing room with stars like Marcus Stoinis, Sunil Narine, Mohammad Nabi, and Tim Southee.
But, he is not satisfied yet.
The Malaysian star wants his team to qualify for the coming editions of the T20 World Cup — a milestone he believes would transform cricket in Malaysia and put him and his teammates on the radar of top global leagues like the Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, and Caribbean Premier League.
“On a personal level, I want to break into more franchise leagues and build a career that allows me to retire comfortably after cricket,” he stated.
He calls on financially strong individuals and corporations to support cricket and other sports in Malaysia to give a platform to talented younger athletes to showcase their skills and make a career out of it.
Singh’s career reflects the larger story of associate cricket — where extraordinary performances often unfold beyond mainstream attention.
As he and Malaysia strive for greater recognition, their journey raises a simple question for the cricketing world: how many more talents like him are waiting to be seen?
An explosive half-century by in-form opener Sanju Samson, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, helped India secure a narrow seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The victory propelled India into the final, where they will be locking horns with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Set to chase a daunting 254-run target, England could accumulate 246/7 in their 20 overs despite Jacob Bethell’s gutsy century.
England got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost opener Phil Salt (five) and captain Harry Brook (seven) inside five overs with just 38 runs on the board.
Following the early dismissals, Bethell walked out to bat at No.4 and shared a 26-run partnership for the third wicket with Jos Buttler, who made a 17-ball 25 before falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay.
England then suffered another setback to their run chase in the eighth over when Axar Patel cleaned up Tom Banton (17) after being hit for two consecutive sixes, and consequently slipped to 95/4.
Bethell then eventually received formidable support at the other end in the form of all-rounder Will Jacks, and the duo displayed grit to keep England in the hunt as they put together 77 runs off just 39 deliveries amid their fifth-wicket partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over.
Jacks made a notable contribution for England in the run chase with a 20-ball 35, comprising four fours and two sixes.
Bethell then shared a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Sam Curran, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over after scoring a 14-ball 18.
England’s batting mainstay Bethell eventually got run out on the first delivery of the final over and walked back after top-scoring with a valiant 105 off 48 deliveries, featuring eight fours and seven sixes.
Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking two wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one apiece.
England captain Harry Brook’s decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 253/7 in their 20 overs.
India, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma (nine) was dismissed by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.
The early setback, however, did not bother India as their top-order duo of Ishan Kishan and Samson raised 97 runs for the second wicket off 44 deliveries until Adil Rashid dismissed the former, who remained a notable contributor for the co-hosts with an 18-ball 39.
Samson was then involved in a 43-run partnership for the third wicket with all-rounder Shivam Dube until eventually falling victim to Jacks in the 14th over. He remained the top-scorer for India with a blazing 89 off 42 deliveries, studded with seven sixes and eight fours.
India suffered another major setback to their batting expedition an over later when Adil got their captain Suryakumar Yadav stumped, who could score 11 off six deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the middle, and the duo put together 32 runs for the fifth wicket before the former was run out due to a mix-up, coupled with a direct hit by England captain Brook.
Dube remained a significant run-getter for India in the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 fixture, scoring 43 off 25 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a four.
Following his departure, Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured an equally dominant finish with the bat for India with blistering cameos, contributing 27 and 21, respectively. The duo also shared a 24-run partnership.
For England, Jacks and Adil bagged two wickets each, while Archer could pick up one.
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Kyler Murray’s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end.
The team reportedly informed the former No. 1 overall pick this week that he will be released at the start of the new league year, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any team, including, potentially, one in Major League Baseball.
Prior to declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for over 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns during the 2018 season, but the then-Oakland Athletics still selected him with the 9th overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass during the first half of an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
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He signed a contract with a $4.66 million signing bonus, but Murray would forgo his senior year at Oklahoma and declare for the NFL Draft. After seven years in the NFL, Murray’s MLB career still remains a possibility.
“Kyler is an elite NFL quarterback and I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities for him to continue his football career,” A’s general manager David Forst told MLB.com on Wednesday.
“That said, he and his baseball representatives know that we’re always open to him exploring a return to baseball with the A’s if that time ever comes.”
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ No. 1 draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, looks on during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Murray, 28, will likely have several options during the offseason. He is currently owed $36.8 million.
His career with the Cardinals has been marred by injuries and other controversies, including the study clause that was initially included in his five-year, $230.5 million deal signed in 2022. The clause was later removed. He appeared in just five games last season after suffering a foot injury, which later landed him on injured reserve.
The Cardinals finished 3-14 behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and later fired head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ number one draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, takes batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray posted in a farewell message to fans on social media. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77-year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday sought a public apology over the broadcast of what it described as an “agenda-driven fake news” targeting the character of national cricketers.
In a brief statement, the cricket board termed targeting the national cricketers’ character “unacceptable” and stressed that the reporter responsible for the aforementioned news must publicly apologise without delay.
The PCB further warned of taking “all necessary steps” if the journalist in question fails to comply with the demand.
“Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the PCB’s statement read.
“The reporter must publicly apologise without delay; failing which, the PCB will take all necessary steps to ensure such malicious conduct is dealt with firmly and nipped in the bud,” it added.
The controversy erupted earlier today when a local news outlet claimed that the Pakistan cricketer was involved in inappropriate behaviour and that hotel staff had filed a formal complaint with the team management.
The report further alleged that the player was involved in inappropriate behaviour, prompting immediate action by the management to assess the matter.
Following a review of the details provided by the hotel and a preliminary investigation, the team management concluded that the Pakistan player had violated the code of conduct and imposed a fine on him.
The claims made in the report, however, were swiftly dismissed by the PCB and Mirza, who announced to take legal action against a local news outlet.
“A absurd News is circulating on media and I strongly condemn this sort of Cheap Journalism. Any Media House can’t air any unverified news,” said Mirza in a Facebook post.
“[Pakistan Cricket Board] has already denied this Baseless & Fake News and I’m going to take Legal Action […]”.
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