The rise of Navdeep Saini
When Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up Navdeep Saini in the auction preceding the 2019 edition of the IPL, he was a relatively untested entity at that level. A tall fast bowler from Karnal, who was spotted by Gautam Gambhir and fast-tracked to the Delhi Ranji team, he was scouted and pursued by multiple teams and was eventually picked up for 3Cr INR following a fierce bidding war. Saini reposed the faith shown in him by Gambhir by being instrumental in Delhi’s path to the final of the Ranji trophy of the 2017-18 season, a campaign in which he was Delhi’s highest wicket-taker with 34 scalps.
Saini had a breakthrough season in the 2019 edition of the IPL, as he became one of the first names on the team sheet taking his place among the RCB pacers. With 11 wickets and a reasonable economy rate of 8.27 considering he bowled the tough overs of the innings, Saini was a bright spot and a huge positive for the future.
Playing under the watchful eyes of the Indian skipper Virat Kohli for RCB, Saini’s impressive performances in IPL 2019 earned him a national team call-up. A couple of months down the line from the IPL, Saini was making his debut for India in the T20 format. Playing against a T20 powerhouse in West Indies, Saini never looked out of place. He first bounced out Nicholas Pooran and then dismissed Shimron Hetmyer off the very next ball. He added to his wickets tally as he got the prized scalp of the well-set Kieron Pollard for 49. His 3-wicket haul earned him the Man of the Match award on his international debut.
Saini created waves in the international arena with his pace and accuracy
Saini’s fiery pace was on full display as Indore stood witness to a spell of fast bowling that broke Sri Lankan batting’s backbone. India needed wickets and skipper Virat Kohli turned to Saini. Saini set up his first victim, Danushka Gunathilaka with a bouncer followed by an accurate yorker which uprooted his stumps knocked over. His four-over spell in which he only conceded 18 runs and picked up 2 wickets, earned him another Man of the Match award.
Saini’s impressive performances in the T20 format also earned him an ODI cap in the series against West Indies at home. He hustled his first ODI victim, Hetmyer for pace and bounce, and then set up Roston Chase and knocked over his stumps with a peach of a yorker.
A year on from his breakthrough season in the IPL, Saini has turned into a formidable pace option in the international arena for the Indian team. The rise has been nothing short of meteoric. Considering that the Indian team boasts of one of the best pace attacks in the world, Saini’s emergence as an option in the famed bowling line-up is a testament to his skills. Royal Challengers Bangalore would be banking on Saini to be the pace spearhead heading into the 2020 IPL season.
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