Dilpreet Singh Bajwa: From Rejections to Captaincy of Canada in T20 World Cup

Dilpreet Singh Bajwa's Rise to Fame

Dilpreet Singh Bajwa, a 24-year-old cricketer from Gurdaspur, has quickly gained fame in his hometown after being appointed as the captain of the Canadian national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka. The decision was made during a Cricket Canada selection committee meeting, where he received a 6-3 vote in his favor.

Despite showcasing his talent in domestic competitions, Bajwa faced repeated rejections from both the Punjab and BCCI selectors. In pursuit of better opportunities, he made the significant decision to move to Canada in 2020.

Born in Gurdaspur, he completed his education in Batala, Dhariwal, and Gurdaspur city. Currently, Dilpreet is leading the Canadian team on a tour in Sri Lanka, with their first match scheduled against South Africa on February 9 in Ahmedabad, India.

His coach from Gurdaspur, Rakesh Marshal, expressed immense pride upon hearing the news. Dilpreet plans to honor his coach by providing air tickets, hotel accommodations, and match passes for all World Cup games. He stated, “This is my tribute to him. He played a crucial role in developing my batting skills at the government college grounds in Gurdaspur and supported my decision to move to Canada when I was overlooked by the Punjab selectors.”

Having started training under Marshal at the age of 12, Dilpreet comes from a cricketing family; his father, Harpreet Singh, represented GNDU, Amritsar, in the North Zone Inter-University cricket tournament.

Since relocating to Canada, Dilpreet has enjoyed successful spells with various clubs, including Caribbean Tigers, Montreal Tigers, Seattle Thunderbolts, Ottawa Falcons, New York Cowboys, NJ Titans, Surrey Shines, and Sudurpaschim Royals.

Looking ahead, Dilpreet is excited about the opportunity to play against India. He remarked, “I have something to prove. My talent was overlooked back home, and I was not selected for BCCI tournaments while others were given chances. Not everyone has the courage to take risks for their passion. I took that leap and moved to Canada for a fresh start.”