Lancashire’s Harry Singh, alongside teammates Charlie Barnard and Kesh Fonseka, was selected for 12th-man duties during England’s opening Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in Manchester. Harry is the son of former Indian cricketer RP Singh Senior, and took the field early in the Test, coming on as a substitute soon after England chose to bowl first.

He returned in the post-lunch session, filling in again when Harry Brook temporarily left the pitch in the 37th over.

Harry’s father, RP Singh Senior, has represented India in the 1980s. A left-arm fast bowler, Singh Senior played two ODIs against Australia in 1986 and had a rich domestic career. He featured in 59 first-class matches, taking 150 wickets while also scoring 1413 runs.

His last competitive appearance was in the Duleep Trophy in 1991, representing Central Zone against North Zone. Following his retirement, RP Singh Senior transitioned to coaching, eventually relocating to England in the late 1990s, where he began working with Lancashire County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Harry Singh has been making steady progress in his own cricketing career; he made his List A debut for Lancashire earlier this year in the One-Day Cup. In his seven matches, the 20-year-old has shown promise, although his performances have yet to fully blossom.

He has scored 87 runs at an average of 12.42, with a strike rate of 64.44 and a top score of 25. Additionally, Singh contributes with the ball, having taken two wickets with his off-breaks.

Singh has represented England U19 team

Singh’s potential was recognized back in 2022 when he was selected for England’s U19 team during their home series against Sri Lanka. During an interview with Lancashire CC after signing a rookie contract with the club at age 18, Harry opened up on his formative years of playing cricket in England.

“I started playing cricket at the age of four, joined Lancashire’s pathway system at eight and have been on the Lancs Academy since I was 15 - so it has been a long journey for me to reach this point," Harry had said.

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