Harpreet Singh Bhatia holds one of the most unusual records in IPL history, and it says everything about his journey. Between his last game for the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2012 and his next appearance, for Punjab Kings in 2023, lay a gap of 10 years and 332 days, the longest any player has waited between two IPL matches. Bhatia was an 18-year-old Indian prospect when he first appeared for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010, a fringe squad member through the early years, then a domestic-cricket veteran who piled up mountains of runs for Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh while the IPL looked the other way. The Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL stats tell the story of a player who finally got his window at 31, and what he did with it.
Punjab Kings bought Bhatia for INR 40 lakh at the 2023 auction, where he had briefly drawn bids from two franchises, and he repaid the faith with 76 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 128.81, including a 41 off 28 balls against Mumbai Indians that remains his highest IPL score. Across a career spanning five seasons and four franchises, he has played 9 IPL matches and scored 123 runs. A keyhole spine surgery in June 2023, two quiet games in 2024 and a release before the 2025 mega auction have left his IPL future uncertain, but his domestic record keeps his name in the conversation.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Stats Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Harpreet Singh Bhatia |
| IPL Debut | 22 March 2010, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians |
| Role | Batter |
| Batting Style | Left-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm medium (not bowled in the IPL) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Current IPL Team | None (last played for Punjab Kings in 2024) |
| IPL Matches | 9 |
| IPL Runs | 123 |
| Highest Score | 41 (vs Mumbai Indians, 2023) |
| IPL Wickets | 0 (no IPL bowling record) |
| IPL 2027 Team | Not officially confirmed |
| IPL 2027 Price | Not officially confirmed |
Who Is Harpreet Singh Bhatia?
Harpreet Singh Bhatia was born on 11 August 1991 in Durg, then in Madhya Pradesh. A left-handed batter, he came through the junior ranks with genuine pedigree: he was vice-captain of the India U-19 side on their tour of Australia in 2009, scoring 262 runs at 52.40, and then represented India at the 2010 ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.
Domestically, Bhatia has been one of central India’s most dependable batters for well over a decade. After starting out with Madhya Pradesh, he moved to Chhattisgarh when the state gained BCCI recognition in 2016 and captained the side for four years across formats. His breakthrough domestic season was 2022-23, when he scored 196 runs in six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy appearances at an average of 49.00 and piled up 516 runs in seven Vijay Hazare Trophy games, including four fifties and two hundreds. He later returned to Madhya Pradesh, where he has led the side in the absence of the regular captain.
In 2026, reports indicated he had obtained a No Objection Certificate from the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association and was open to representing another team, with his name appearing in a UAE squad listing that year. He is uncapped at senior international level for India.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Teams
| Season | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Squad member, IPL debut |
| 2011 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Squad member |
| 2012 | Pune Warriors India | Squad member |
| 2017 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Injury replacement for Sarfaraz Khan, did not play |
| 2023 | Punjab Kings | Bought at auction |
| 2024 | Punjab Kings | Retained |
| 2025 | None | Released by Punjab Kings ahead of the mega auction, unsold |
| 2026 | None | No IPL team |
| 2027 | Not officially confirmed | Auction/retention status awaited |
Bhatia’s franchise story is one of long waits. Kolkata signed him as a teenager and used him sparingly across 2010 and 2011. Pune Warriors gave him a single game in 2012. His one-season association with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2017 came as an injury replacement and yielded no appearances. It was only Punjab Kings, who bought him at the 2023 auction, who finally gave him a real run: three matches in 2023 and two in 2024 before he was released ahead of the 2025 mega auction. At Punjab he shared a dressing room with Shikhar Dhawan, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh and Harpreet Brar.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL 2024 Stats
| Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 50s | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 27 | 14 | 13.50 | 79.41 | 0 | 0 |
Bhatia’s 2024 season was a step back after the promise of 2023. In two matches for Punjab Kings he managed 27 runs at a strike rate under 80, and his last IPL appearance to date came against Gujarat Titans at Mullanpur in April 2024, when he made 14 off 19 balls. It was the end of his Punjab stint: the franchise released him before the 2025 mega auction.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL 2025 Stats
Bhatia did not play in the 2025 IPL season. Released by Punjab Kings ahead of the mega auction, he went unsold and had no franchise for the season.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL 2026 Stats
Bhatia did not play in the 2026 IPL season. He remained without an IPL franchise, and no 2026 IPL statistics exist for him.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL 2027 Stats
IPL 2027 statistics are not available yet because the season has not started. As of October 2026, Bhatia has no confirmed IPL 2027 team. His future in the league will be decided by the official retention announcements and the IPL 2027 auction.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL 2027 Team and Price
Not officially confirmed. Bhatia was released by Punjab Kings ahead of the 2025 mega auction and has not played in the IPL since April 2024. His team and price for the 2027 season, if he returns to the league, will only be confirmed at the IPL 2027 auction.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Career Batting Stats
| Season | Team | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 50s | 100s | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 14.00 | 70.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Pune Warriors India | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6.00 | 100.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Punjab Kings | 3 | 3 | 76 | 41 | 25.33 | 128.81 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2024 | Punjab Kings | 2 | 2 | 27 | 14 | 13.50 | 79.41 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | – | 9 | 8 | 123 | 41 | 15.38 | 103.36 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Stats by Year
| Season | Team | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 50s | 100s | Wkts | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 2011 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 14.00 | 70.00 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 2012 | Pune Warriors India | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6.00 | 100.00 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 2023 | Punjab Kings | 3 | 3 | 76 | 41 | 25.33 | 128.81 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 2024 | Punjab Kings | 2 | 2 | 27 | 14 | 13.50 | 79.41 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Highest Score
Bhatia’s highest IPL score is 41, made for Punjab Kings against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season. Coming off just 28 balls, it was the standout innings of his IPL career and the knock that justified Punjab’s decision to give him a chance after more than a decade on the fringes. He struck eight fours and three sixes across his three innings that season, and the 41 remained his only IPL score above 20 until the end of his stint.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Batting Records
- Holds the IPL record for the longest gap between two matches: 10 years and 332 days, between his last game for Pune Warriors India in 2012 and his return for Punjab Kings in 2023.
- His 2023 strike rate of 128.81 is his best in any IPL season.
- Has hit 10 fours and 3 sixes in his IPL career across 9 matches.
- One of a small group of players to have turned out for four different IPL franchises (KKR, Pune Warriors India, RCB and PBKS).
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Auction Price History
| Season | Team | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Not officially confirmed | Squad member |
| 2011 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Not officially confirmed | Squad member |
| 2012 | Pune Warriors India | Not officially confirmed | Squad member |
| 2017 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Replacement signing | Injury replacement for Sarfaraz Khan, did not play |
| 2023 | Punjab Kings | INR 40 lakh | Bought at auction |
| 2024 | Punjab Kings | INR 40 lakh | Retained |
| 2025 | None | – | Released by Punjab Kings ahead of the mega auction, unsold |
| 2026 | None | – | No IPL team |
| 2027 | Not officially confirmed | Not officially confirmed | Auction/retention status awaited |
Harpreet Singh Bhatia IPL Records and Achievements
- Longest gap between two IPL appearances: 10 years and 332 days (2012 to 2023), an all-time IPL record.
- Represented India at the 2010 ICC Under-19 World Cup and was vice-captain on the 2009 U-19 tour of Australia.
- Scored 516 runs in seven matches in the 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with four fifties and two hundreds, the domestic form that earned him his Punjab Kings contract.
- Captain of Chhattisgarh for four years across formats after the state’s BCCI recognition.
Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s IPL Performance Analysis
The numbers split neatly into two careers: the early fringe years and the Punjab return. Across 2010 to 2012, Bhatia played four matches and scored 20 runs, never batting higher than a bit-part role in squads built around bigger names. He was a teenager at Kolkata, a squad filler at Pune Warriors, and the league moved on while his domestic game matured.
2023 was the anomaly that proved the point. At 31, with a strike rate of 128.81, he was a genuinely productive middle-order option in his three outings, and the 41 against Mumbai Indians showed he could score at a T20 tempo against quality attacks. The spine surgery that June cut the momentum dead, and 2024’s 27 runs at 79.41 in two matches suggests a player whose body and rhythm never quite recovered in time to hold his spot.
The underlying story is opportunity rather than decline: in nine IPL matches spread over 14 years, Bhatia never got the extended run that reveals a batter’s true level. His domestic returns, including that 516-run Vijay Hazare campaign, show a player who scores heavily at the level below. Whether the IPL door opens again, perhaps at the 2027 auction, depends on franchises valuing that domestic pedigree over his age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Harpreet Singh Bhatia play for in the IPL?
He most recently played for Punjab Kings, in 2023 and 2024. He was released before the 2025 mega auction and currently has no IPL franchise.
How many runs has Harpreet Singh Bhatia scored in the IPL?
He has scored 123 runs in 9 IPL matches, at an average of 15.38 and a strike rate of 103.36.
What is Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s highest IPL score?
His highest score is 41, made for Punjab Kings against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season, off 28 balls.
What is the longest gap between two IPL matches?
Harpreet Singh Bhatia holds the record: 10 years and 332 days between his match for Pune Warriors India in 2012 and his next game, for Punjab Kings in 2023.
What was Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s IPL auction price?
Punjab Kings bought him for INR 40 lakh at the 2023 auction and retained him at the same price for 2024. He was released before the 2025 mega auction and went unsold.
When did Harpreet Singh Bhatia make his IPL debut?
He made his IPL debut on 22 March 2010 for Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians, though he did not get to bat in that match.
Has Harpreet Singh Bhatia played for India?
No. He is uncapped at senior international level, but he represented India at the 2010 ICC Under-19 World Cup.
What is Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s IPL 2027 team?
Not officially confirmed. The season has not started, and his team and price will be decided by the official retention announcements and the IPL 2027 auction.
Sources and Data Notes
Statistics and player information are checked against available reliable sources and may be updated as new IPL matches, transfers, or official announcements are confirmed. Sources used for this article include the official IPL website, season statistics cross-checked across myKhel, SportsYaari and ESPNcricinfo-aligned databases, ESPN auction analysis, CricTracker, Cricxtasy and established cricket publications.
Statistics updated through: 17 October 2026
