Deepak Hooda and Shivam Mavi open up on their exploits against Sri Lanka in the first T20I

India had a nervy ending to their opening fixture of the ongoing calendar year as Sri Lanka pushed them to the very end of the line only for Axar Patel to keep his calm and execute a handful of rippers to perfection, leaving Chamika Karunaratne short of the finish line by whiskers. 

Despite Axar’s final over, it was Deepak Hooda who came in with brick, mortar and eventually the fire-cannon to blow away the Lankans with the bat in his hand while it was Shivam Mavi who razed through the Lankan line-up almost single-handedly to guide India along the right path despite a modest score on the board.

Hooda had a crucial role to play after India started teetering early in the game despite a decent partnership between Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya. It was a late blitz from Hooda as he smashed 41 from 23 balls to provide the headstart that India needed against their wobbling counterparts.

Talking in the post-match presser, Hooda said, “I try to practice for every position and try to give my best at every position. We knew if get the momentum on our side, we will reach 160. I recently played domestic cricket, so I am aware of the game situation even though I don't practise range hitting.”

Debutant Shivam Mavi savoured a fine outing on his maiden international rodeo as he bagged four crucial wickets, removing the big names of Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theeksana. It was quite a phenomenal ride for the youngster as he found himself being lauded heavily by his skipper and teammates.

Mavi said, “I was waiting for this moment for the last six years. Had injuries in between and it felt like my dream would never come true. Nerves were 3-4 on a scale of ten because you know what to expect when you have played the IPL. The first wicket was my favourite.”