Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Punjab homecoming does wonders for level-headed Harnoor Singh Pannu

Four seasons ago, when India’s U-19 team won the World Cup, Harnoor Singh Pannu was one of the key members of the side. Like most of his team-mates, the swashbuckling opening batter dreamed of graduating to the senior team.

But coming from a cricketing family, Harnoor knew that he would have to wait for his turn. And, the last few years have just been about that – working hard, scoring runs and proving a point.

The journey has been far from easy. Having moved to Chandigarh when it got the BCCI affiliation in 2018, Harnoor failed to cement his place in the side, despite his achievements with India U-19. So, a couple of years ago, when an opportunity came his way to shift back to Punjab Cricket Association — where he played age-group cricket — Harnoor did not think twice.

The move proved right as performances in the Punjab T20 League Sher-e-Punjab and his stellar performances for the Punjab U-23 team earned him a contract with Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League last year. This time too, he has been retained.

The youngster has let his willow do the talking. After a decent campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has impressed in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, too, scoring 137 runs in three innings for Punjab.

“The journey has been more of a roller-coaster, but now I feel that I belong here,” Harnoor told  Sportstar with a smile. “It feels good to be back in Punjab, where I started my journey..”

Playing for a team like Punjab, which features quite a few international stars, there is always a cut-throat competition, but Harnoor does not think too much about it. “I have always believed that pressure is a privilege. The more healthy the competition is gonna be, it will help me bring the best out of me. So, every time I play a game, the only motivation is to give my best and let the selectors do their thing,” he said.

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Over the years, Harnoor has spent quite a bit of time in meditation, and that has helped him handle the pressure. Whenever he felt low, he would meditate and keep believing in himself. “After the U-19 World Cup, I’ve been working a lot on meditation. So, that kind of helped me to stay calm in any situation. That has been the highlight,” he said. He added that throughout his journey, his uncle and coach Harminder Pannu has been his biggest strength along with his father, and grandfather Rajinder Singh, a former Punjab cricketer himself.

“They have always been around me,” he said. “They have never judged me, even if I scored a zero or a hundred. I can talk to them about anything, and their support keeps me going…”

After shifting to Punjab a couple of years back, Harnoor was initially hesitant, but a stint with the Punjab Kings boosted his confidence. Even though he did not get a game, interactions with Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting, instilled his self-belief. “People have been fearless in the team, and that’s the mindset I picked up from them, and it has helped a lot,” Harnoor said.

Putting all the learning into practice, Harnoor has been able to swiftly switch formats. After scoring 338 runs in the first phase of the Ranji Trophy, he proved his mettle in white-ball cricket as well. “While growing up, I was taught to work more on my red ball cricket. And, everyone in my family would tell me that if I do well in red ball cricket and score runs, I can automatically perform in white-ball as well,” he said, adding: “That approach has helped me…”

After a topsy-turvy outing with Chandigarh, Harnoor is finally at home in Punjab, and having proven a point, he is now looking forward to playing a couple of games with India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, who he considers as an idol.

Published on Jan 04, 2026