R.P. Singh, also known as Rudra Pratap Singh, born on December 6, in 1985, is primarily a left-arm fast-medium bowler and a right-handed batsman. R.P. Singh has played for the Indian Cricket Team in Twenty20 Test cricket and One Day cricket. Singh played in the Indian Premiere League 2011, for the Kochi Tuskers Kerala team. R.P. Singh shot to the limelight, during the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004. The resourceful bowler availed of his valuable assets and splendidly grabbed 8 wickets at an average of 24.75 each, while bowling in the slog over towards the close of the innings. R.P. Singh, the bowling cyclone from Uttar Pradesh, has the record to flaunt 34 wickets in 6 Ranji Trophy games. Sometimes later in 2004, R.P. Singh converged with the echelon of the Indian left-arm seamers. He has played 63 First class matches, and took 215 wickets, by giving 6536 runs out of 11866 balls.
Career of R.P. Singh
By the middle of 2005, R.P. Singh, owing to his merit, entered the National One-Day team. The explosive bowling of R.P. Singh showed its potency in the very second over of his ODI debut against the astounded Zimbabwe at Harare on 4th September 2005. He captured 2 wickets. R.P. Singh`s outstanding acquisition of the 4 wickets against Sri Lanka, and that too in a batting-friendly wicket in his 3rd One-Day International, helped India to arrest the progress of Sri Lanka at an 196 all out. R.P. Singh, instrumental in the team`s success, was conferred upon the Man of the Match Award. R.P. Singh did not become complacent with his accomplishment.
He sustained this high-quality performance, and landed up with another 3 wickets in the fourth match. Singh got into the Test squad and was given opportunity to make his Test debut in the 2nd Test against Pakistan at Faisalabad, in Pakistan, in January 2006. Again, R.P. Singh added a feather in his cap by picking up 5 important wickets. He was awarded the Player of the Match. In the 4th match of the One Day Series against Pakistan in 2006, his attainment of 4 wickets catapulted India to the ecstatic elevation of a 3-1 lead in the series. India reached a 4-1 victory in the series. R.P. Singh, the young master-bowler has won the Man of the Match award 3 times, within the 11 ODI matches, of his just flowered international career. Singh though suffered a setback for sometime, due to a temporary fall in his performance-level, yet he has regained his fame and aura, when he was invited to join the Test battalion for the tour to England.
There he has performed to the best of his abilities. He dashingly collected 5/59 at the historic ground of the Lord`s. This happened to be his first 5 wicket haul in Test career. Recently, in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup, Singh has exhibited impressive feats. Team India has ascended the lofty pinnacle of glory. In the final match on 24th September, 2007, held at Johannesburg, this man of mettle has grabbed 3 wickets, for 26 runs.
In the 2011 IPL, R.P. Singh joined the Kochi Tuskers Kerala, after leaving his former team Deccan Chargers. In the 2nd season of IPL, he became the highest wicket taker, by taking 23 wickets in 16 matches, and won the Purple Cap. He is also the highest wicket taker in all seasons of the Indian Premier League, with a staggering 52 wickets in his kitty. R.P. Singh played for the Indian Team in the 2011 England Tour, after a 3 year absence from Test cricket.