RP Singh’s rise is linked with the memorable period in UP domestic cricket which saw the likes of Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar make it to the Indian national side. Blessed with an ability to swing the ball both ways, RP first grabbed the headlines at the under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004, when he took eight wickets at a very impressive average of 24.75. He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in September 2005 and shortly after, his Test debut against Pakistan in Faisalabad in January 2006. He won the Man-of- the-Match award on his Test debut taking five wickets in the match.

RP’s finest hour on the international circuit came in 2007 when, along with Zaheer Khan, he led India to their first Test series victory in England in 21 years. At the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, which India won, RP emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker in the entire competition, taking 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 12.66 runs per wicket. In IPL 2009, RP emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with 23 wickets from 16 matches - a Purple Cap-winning performance.