From Driving Uber In England To Italy Cricket Team: The Journey Of Phagwara's Jaspreet Singh

“Chalo! Hum Hindi mein baat karenge (let's talk in Hindi).” One won't get to hear that line often ahead of an interview with an Italian cricketer. But Jaspreet Singh has neither forgotten the language or connection with his home town Phagwara, Punjab, despite moving to Bergamo 22 years ago as a 10-year-old with his parents. The early days in Italy were not precisely smooth as his father Tirath Singh and mother Jasvir Kaur had to settle down in an unfamiliar town as factory workers.

“It was a big day for my family when we got the chance to migrate to Italy. But we were a bit anxious too as it was a new country, new language and new culture. Everything was new for us. But I was thinking about how to play cricket which I used to do as a kid in my town,” Jaspreet told PTI.

For a beginner, the journey to Italy, a cricketing outpost, was tough as the European nation hardly had any proper infrastructure in place.

He enrolled into the local Bergamo Cricket Club, a meagre facility at best, but also completed a two-year electrician course to assist his father in his works.

However, Jaspreet soon found a way to develop his cricketing skills with some help from the Indian expats whom he met at the local gurudwara.

They told him to move to England to play cricket on turf wickets there, and he also had to work as an Uber driver to meet his expenses while staying in Birmingham.

“I used to play in India when I was a kid, and I wanted to do that when I went to Italy. But when I went to Italy, there was no cricket there, no real stadiums or grounds which I used to see in Punjab.

“When I came to know about it, I started playing after shifting to England because they had turf wickets, and had to find an alternative to meet the expenses, hence I took to driving Uber, which also gave me a lot of flexibility in time,” said Jaspreet, who plays in the competitive Birmingham & District Premier League.

The toils had their benefits as Jaspreet, a right-arm pacer, made his Italy debut against Norway in 2019.

Italy came close to qualifying for the 2024 T20 World Cup too, but a narrow defeat against Ireland ended their hopes.

However, the Azzurris fulfilled the dream a year later by topping the European Regional Qualifiers in June 2025.

“It is a matter of pride for us. We have been trying for a long time to qualify. And our team has been trying very hard for the last three years. And we are thankful to God that we qualified for the World Cup this time.

“This team has been the same for the last three to four years. Everyone knows each other, and everyone knows their role. And we are still working very hard.

"We have not only come to participate in the World Cup, we have also come to compete," he said.

For Jaspreet, a trip to India is not just about a return to his home land but also a chance to experience the world-class cricketing facilities in the country.

"This is an amazing feeling for us. I have been watching these grounds since my childhood. Our great legends like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have played in these grounds.

“So, to come here and play in that environment…Chidambaram Stadium (practice matches), Eden Gardens, Wankhede. It is a dream come true for all of us. We feel very proud that we have reached here,” he said.

Beyond the emotional layers, Jaspreet acknowledged that the whole experience will help the team adapt to Indian conditions and stadium dimensions.

“It is helpful because you get to know the conditions here, what is the dimension and how is the wicket going. What is good about it? Is it good for spin or fast? “So, we are checking the conditions. And we have 15 good boys. And according to the wicket, they will play the best combination.”

The 32-year-old hoped that the team management can take a few notes of the facilities here to enhance the Italian system.

“The players are very good, as they have good skill sets. But the problem there is with the structure. But now, with the World Cup, we hope that the facilities will improve.

“We have played in Chennai, and now we are going to Kolkata and then to Mumbai. It's a chance for us to learn about stadiums and wickets and then do the same in Italy. Hopefully, we also can impress with our performances as such occasions do not come often,” he signed off.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)