Navdeep Saini Birthday Special: Quick Facts to Know About the Indian Speedster

Remember the time when India had the reputation of not producing tearaway fast bowlers. Well, those days are indeed history as the nation currently has many speedsters who can take the pitch out of the equation with their thunderbolts. One of those modern-day Indian pacers is Navdeep Saini who celebrates his 28th birthday on Monday (November 23). Hailing from Haryana, Saini initially relied on his swing and accuracy rather than pace. However, the youngster worked on his game and now has the standing of clocking 150 kmph consistently. The birthday boy is currently in Australia – preparing for a full-fledged tour comprising of three ODIs, as many T20Is and four Test matches. Here's What 'Secret Message' on RCB Bowler Navdeep Saini's Shoes Reads!

Saini burst onto the scenes in 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season where he bagged 34 wickets – playing a crucial role in guiding Delhi to the finals. He subsequently got a contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Although RCB had a mediocre season, Saini managed to make a mark by challenging some prominent T20 stars. Months after, the speedster received his maiden India cap and there was no looking back since then. While he has almost become a regular member of India’s white-ball playing XI, Saini has a chance to make a mark in Test matches against Australia. As the star pacer turns a year older, let’s look at some quick facts about him. Navdeep Saini's Workout: Here's The Exercise Routine That Helps The Indian Bowler Become Menacing Speedster.

Navdeep Saini Quick Facts & Records:

1. Navdeep Saini was born on November 23, 1992, in Karnal Haryana.
2. Saini’s grandfather, Karam Singh, was an Independence activist and a part of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army.
3. The pacer was first spotted by Gautam Gambhir who was impressed by facing the young lad in nets.
4. He was Delhi’s highest wicket-taker in 2017-18 Ranji Season and Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018-19 with 34 and eight wickets respectively.
5. RCB bought the pacer for a whopping three crore ahead of IPL 2019.
6. Saini got his maiden call-up when he was added to India’s Test squad for their one-off match against Afghanistan but didn’t play in the series.
7. He received his maiden India cap in a T20I match against West Indies in 2019.
8. Scalping a three-wicket haul, the pacer was adjudged Man of the Match on debut.
9. The speedster bowled a famous Super Over against the mighty Mumbai Indians batting line-up in IPL 2020 where he gave just seven runs and guided RCB to an emphatic triumph.

Meanwhile, Saini and other Indian cricket stars are currently serving the 14-day quarantine period in Australia ahead of the ODI series – starting from November 27. With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami likely to play ODIs & T20Is on a rotational basis to manage workload, the onus of Saini’s shoulders will be even more. Also, the youngster’s Test debut is on the cards with Ishant Sharma not likely to be match fit ahead of the series.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2020 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).