Father’s unfinished dream, son’s journey to cricketing glory

Spread the news

From picking up a bat in Bathinda to waiting six years for his Ranji debut and lifting the Sher-E-Punjab T20 title with Amritsar Soormas, Jashanpreet Singh Sidhu’s journey is one of patience, sacrifice and a dream that refuses to fade

Chandigarh: His father once had a dream. He wanted to play cricket at a higher level. But family circumstances came in the way, leaving that dream unfinished.

Years later, when his son picked up a bat, he saw a chance to give it another life.

“My father decided to fulfil his dream through me. He was the one who inspired me to play cricket and got me into this field,” says 27-year-old cricketer Jashanpreet Singh Sidhu.

And so began the journey of a boy from Bathinda, born on April 29, 1999, who would spend years chasing a dream that was once his father’s. The road would bring promise, setbacks and a six-year wait before finally leading to a Sher-E-Punjab T20 title with Amritsar Soormas.

Jashanpreet grew up in a family of four, with his parents and sister. His father, despite a demanding job, made every effort to be there, taking leave from work to watch his son play and support him through the journey.

The son kept playing. The father kept believing. The dream became theirs.

The innings that changed things

Jashanpreet was 13 when he first seriously thought of becoming a cricketer. The moment came at the IS Bindra Mohali stadium, where he scored 81 against the Chandigarh senior team.

His first coach, Ashanad Saini of Bathinda, had a lesson that stayed with him.

“Cricket is such a game that will test you at every point, but at the same time you will start feeling pleasure if you give your best and perform well for your team,” he recalls.

He would soon discover just how much the game could test him.

During his Under 23 years, Jashanpreet scored 392 runs in his first three matches of an All-India state competition and received a call for the Ranji Trophy. It seemed like the breakthrough had arrived. It didn’t.

The opportunity slipped away and he had to wait six years for his Ranji Trophy debut.

“At that time, it was the most difficult phase of my cricket career,” he says.

When he speaks about his six-year-long journey, he remembers his father, his first coach, senior players and teammates. His milestones, in his telling, rarely belong to him alone.

From waiting to winning

The Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup brought another turn. Playing for Intersoft Titans in 2024, Jashanpreet made 42 off 32 balls and followed it with a 63. But what stayed with him was the experience of sharing a dressing room with senior players.

“I gained a lot of experience from my senior players, which boosted my confidence and strengthened my technical skills,” he says.

Then came Amritsar Soormas.

Jashanpreet says he had a strong feeling during the 2026 auction that he would be picked by Amritsar. When it happened, there was another reason to celebrate: Abhishek Sharma, whom he has known since their Under 14 days and considers like a brother.

The season soon gave Jashanpreet a moment of his own.

Against Mohali Kings, he was expected to bat at No. 6 or 7. Two early wickets changed the plan and his coach sent him in earlier. “I thought of giving my 101 per cent,” the cricketer says.

He smashed 41 off 25 balls and shared a 120-run partnership with Naman Dhir off 52 balls as Amritsar posted 279/7.

Then came the bigger reward: Amritsar Soormas lifted the inaugural Sher-E-Punjab T20 title.

The dream is still blue

“People have a misconception that cricket is a very easy game and it gives a lot of money and fame. But behind the scenes, cricket demands a lot of patience, consistency and sacrifices,” the cricketer says.

Bad games still hurt. He gets demotivated, talks to his loved ones and finds his way back.

And if cricket had not worked out?

“I would have thought of starting my own business. I would have been an entrepreneur today,” he adds.

For now, another dream remains.

“I dream of playing for my country and wearing the blue jersey. I want to prove to myself that I have the calibre to play at the highest level and make my country proud.”

For a boy who once picked up a bat to carry his father’s unfinished dream, the journey has already come a long way. Six years of waiting could not make him let go. If anything, they taught him to believe a little harder.

Now, Jashanpreet is ready for his next innings.

Perhaps, one day, the boy from Bathinda will walk out wearing the blue jersey his father once dreamed of seeing him wear.