It was in December 2004 when city cricketer Gagandeep Singh had made it to the Indian national cricket team for the Bangladesh tour.

It was matter of pride not only for his family but for the entire city as after former cricketer Yashpal Sharma, who was a team member in 1983 World Cup, a city cricketer had made it to the national squad after 27 years.

Gagandeep’s father Harjit Singh Toor and mother Surinder Kaur were enthusiastic beyond words at the feat of their son. Everybody was so charged up on the cold night of December 1, 2004, that no one had imagined that it would be just a flash in the pan.

Though once he was termed as the new sensation of India, after nearly five years, Gagandeep Singh has been reduced to just a domestic cricketer. During the Indian cricket team’s tour of Bangladesh in 2004, he did not get any chance to play. After that he was never called for the national team.

However, Gagandeep Singh has the solace of playing for the Punjab Kings XI in the Indian Premier League (IPL)’s first edition last year. A regular player in the Ranji Trophy team of Punjab, this 28-year-old hopes to soon find a place in the national team. “Last year, I gave a reasonably good performance in the first edition of the IPL. This year, I could not play in the second edition of the tournament due to an injury. But I am confident that I will get a chance to play for the country,” says the cricketer.