Mohali, September 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Ludhiana Lions medium pacer Krish Bhagat dedicated his two-wicket performance against Amritsar Soormas to his grandfather, former Punjab minister Bhagat Chunni Lal, who passed away last night.
Krish played a key role as Ludhiana Lions defeated Amritsar Soormas by five wickets in a crucial Sher-E-Punjab T20 League match at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium to secure a place in the semifinals.
Speaking after the match, the 2026 Mumbai Indians IPL debutant revealed the personal significance behind his performance.
“Dadu passed away last night. He inspired me a lot, so I dedicated this wicket to him,” Krish said, recalling his grandfather’s journey from Pakistan to India. He said Chunni Lal arrived in India without even having a place to stay, describing his journey as a major source of inspiration.
Krish, who began playing cricket at the age of five, said his passion for the sport developed during visits to his family’s sports manufacturing factory, where he would see cricket bats.
“I was only five when I started playing cricket. Whenever I used to go to my family’s sports manufacturing factory, there were bats there, and I used to get fascinated by them,” he said. His family subsequently enrolled him in a cricket academy after he insisted on taking up the sport.
The young pacer said his family never pressured him academically and instead encouraged him to give his best to whatever he chose to pursue.
Krish said cricket was the only sport he seriously considered while growing up. Playing with friends in the park and later competing at organised levels convinced him that cricket was the career he wanted to pursue.
Reflecting on his experience in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, Krish said the tournament has helped him learn to adapt to changing pitch conditions and different match situations. With matches being played in quick succession and pitches seeing repeated use, he said adapting to conditions had been one of his biggest takeaways.
Krish added that he entered the league without an individual target and remained focused on helping Ludhiana Lions win.
“I did not come into the league with any individual goal. I just wanted to help my team win. I still want to take the team all the way,” he said.
The rising cricketer named India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and South African great Jacques Kallis as his idols, saying he continues to draw inspiration from both.
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