Form Watch - Pawan Negi
Hailing from Delhi, Pawan Negi swiftly rose through the ranks in the junior cricket circles. With his all-round credentials, Negi repeatedly proved his mettle in division cricket.
After an impressive outing in the division cricket, Pawan Negi was fast-tracked to the Delhi side for the T20s. In 2011, The wily left-arm orthodox spinner gave a timely reminder of his all-round capabilities in the Syed Mushtaq Ali - he ended up as the highest wicket-taker for Delhi. He continued to showcase his all-round dexterities in the IPL, and an India call-up beckoned. Negi was named in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup and World T20 tournament.
The ability to cramp the batsman for room with the flatter trajectory coupled with his batting capabilities lower down the order - Pawan Negi is tailor-made for the limited-overs format.
Royal Challengers Bangalore pouched the all-rounder for a sum of 1 crore. In 2017, Pawan Negi was the silver lining for Royal Challengers Bangalore; he ended up as the highest wicket-taker with 16 wickets. Convinced with his stock as an all-rounder, Royal Challengers Bangalore retained Negi by utilizing the 'RTM' option in the 2018 auction.
DID YOU KNOW?
In the CLT20 Final, Pawan Negi's five-wicket haul sent the Kolkata Knight Riders' batting line-up into the doldrums at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Southpaw was adjudged Man of the Match for his impressive bowling performance.
The Numbers that Matter
- 96 - Pawan Negi has procured 96 wickets for Delhi in the T20s.
- 5.65 - The Delhi born all-rounder has always got his A-game against Kolkata Knight Riders. The left-arm spinner has operated with an economy rate of 5.65, helped by 8 wickets against Kolkata franchise in the Indian Premier League.
- 198 - Pawan Negi has 198 wickets to his tally across all forms of competitive cricket.
- 59 - In 2016, Pawan Negi became the 59th player to represent India in the T20I format. He made his debut for India against UAE in Asia Cup.
Pawan Negi hopeful of returning to the Indian fold
Since August 2019, the 27-year-old has taken a total of 18 wickets in just 13 matches. Pigeonholed as the limited-overs player, Pawan Negi has been a regular face in the Delhi team. With 13 wickets, The left-arm orthodox spinner was the highest wicket-taker for Delhi in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
With age on his side, Pawan Negi will look to return to the Indian fold, and the IPL could possibly be the gateway.
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