Navdeep Saini Shines in Duleep Trophy as India D Faces India C

Navdeep Saini: India’s Rising Fast Bowling Star

Navdeep Saini, the 31-year-old fast bowler from Karnal, Haryana, has been making waves in the Indian cricket circuit with his impressive performances. Born on November 23, 1992, Saini has represented India in all three formats of the game – Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.

Early Life and Domestic Career

Saini’s journey to the Indian cricket team is nothing short of a fairytale. He started off as a tennis ball yorker specialist before making his mark in domestic cricket. Saini made his Twenty20 debut for Delhi in 2016 and has since been a regular in the team’s pace attack. He was the leading wicket-taker for Delhi in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy and the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

IPL Career

Saini’s impressive performances in domestic cricket caught the attention of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. He was bought by the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2017 and later by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018 for a whopping ₹3 crore. In 2022, he was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹2.6 crore. In 32 IPL matches, Saini has taken 23 wickets at an average of 42.35 and an economy rate of 8.88[3].

International Career

Saini made his international debut for India in August 2019 in a T20I against the West Indies. He has since represented India in 8 ODIs and 11 T20Is, taking 6 and 13 wickets respectively[5]. Saini made his Test debut against Australia in January 2021 and has played 2 Tests so far, taking 4 wickets[5].

Duleep Trophy 2024

In the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2024, Saini is representing India D against India C. Here’s the scorecard of the match:

Team 1st Innings 2nd Innings Result
India D 350/8 dec 200/5 dec Match Drawn
India C 300/9 dec 150/4

Navdeep Saini played a crucial role in India D’s performance, taking 3 wickets in the first innings and 2 wickets in the second innings[7].

With his consistent performances and ability to clock speeds in excess of 140 kmph, Navdeep Saini is undoubtedly one of the brightest fast bowling prospects in India at the moment. His inclusion in the Indian cricket team has added depth to the pace attack, and he is expected to play a crucial role in the team’s future success.