Happy Birthday Navdeep Saini: A Look at Four Brilliant Spells by India’s Rising Pace Sensation

India's rising pace sensation Navdeep Saini turns a year older on Saturday (November 23, 2019). The right-arm pacer celebrates his 27th birthday. Hailing from Haryana, Saini belongs to the new breed of Indian pacers who can set the speed gun on fire. He came in the limelight by bowling some breathtaking spells in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Saini went through the defenses of some terrific batsmen and subsequently was named a stand-by for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Navdeep Saini Impresses on International Debut, Picks Two Wickets in His First Over During India vs West Indies 1st T20I 2019.

The pacer got his maiden International cap against West Indies in a T20I match earlier this year. Saini didn't waste any time in leaving a mark and bowled a magnificent spell on debut. He dismissed three Caribbean batsmen and played a crucial role in guiding India to victory. Amidst his success in the shortest format, the youngster has all the attributes to become a lethal Test bowler and his First-Class Numbers speak for himself. Talking about his ability with the ball, let's look at three fantastic spells bowled by Navdeep Saini. Gautam Gambhir Slams Bishen Singh Bedi, Chetan Chauhan After Navdeep Saini’s Dream India Debut Against West Indies.

 3/17 Against West Indies in Lauderhill

As mentioned above, Saini proved in his debut only. In the first T20I of the series, the pacer bowled with hostility and was too hot to handle for the Caribbean batting line-up. He dismissed the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard and Shimron Hetmyer in order to put India on the driver's seat. Due to his scintillating spell, the Men in Marron were restricted to 95 runs in the first innings which the Men in Blue chased and won the match by four wickets.

2/24 Against Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru

The youngster bowled his heart out against Delhi's side in IPL 2019 and gave his all to take guide RCB home. Defending a small total of 149 runs, Saini bowled a tight line and never let the batsmen free their arms. He also chipped in with two wickets which included Skipper Shreyas Iyer. Unfortunately, the pacer didn't get much support from other bowlers as RCB lost the match by four wickets.

5/46 Against West Indies 'A' in Antigua

Another Saini Special was witnessed in the 2nd unofficial ODI of India A's 2019 Tour of West Indies. Defending a target of 255 isn't an easy job nowadays. However, the speedster had some other ideas as he ran through the Caribbean batting line-up in their own den. He claimed wickets at regular intervals and bagged his maiden five-wicket haul in List-A cricket. Courtesy his brilliance, the home side were bundled out for 190 runs and lost the match by 65 runs.

3/55 & 4/35 Against Bengal

The pacer put on a brilliant display of fast bowling in the all-important semi-final of 2017-18 Ranji Trophy. Playing for Delhi, Saini delivered not one but two brilliant spells that stormed Delhi into finals. He got three scalps in the first innings and followed it by a four-fer in the last innings of the clash which helped Delhi to register a victory by an innings and 26 runs.

These figures speak volumes about Saini's ability with the ball and the pacer will certainly want to make a big mark in International cricket as well. With the ICC World Test Championship going on, the youngster will have to deliver consistently in the domestic circuit to get a break in the Indian team. Also, a good display in IPL 2020 can also earn him a berth in India's squad for T20 World Cup 2020.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2019 08:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).