The Indian Premier League is a treasure trove of young talent and it keeps giving Indian cricket more of such cricketers with every passing season. In the 2021 season, players like Jaiswal, Gaikwad, and Arshdeep Singh have been discovered and recognized by the franchises and spectators.
One of the most promising cricketers who was discovered last season but has continued to impress in this season as well is Ravi Bishnoi. He was the find of the season last year. In the 14 games that he played, he picked up 12 wickets at an economy of 7.37. In T20 cricket, an economy of under 8 is phenomenal. He picked these wickets at an average of 31.33 and his best came at 3/29. His overall performance impressed the management and fans were eager to see what he could offer this year.
In an unusual turn of events, Bishnoi was not part of the initial Punjab Kings matches. This inexplicable selection was later explained by the coach, Anil Kumble. He reasoned that Bishnoi was not bowling at his best in the nets at the start of the tournament and hence could be part of the playing eleven. He was brought into the latter half of the season and was an instant success.
He has played just 8 games this season but has already picked 11 wickets, one less than his last season’s tally. His average too has dropped to 18 proving it has become tough to hit him. He bowls at an astounding economy of 6.35 and his best of 3/24 came against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His best game thus far has come against Mumbai Indians where he returned with figures of 25/2 after four overs. It is pertinent to note why he created such an impact on the game.
Quinton de Kock had got a steady start and at the other end, Sharma was slowly getting his eye in. Bishnoi got Sharma cheaply when he was just on 8. He went on to knock over Suryakumar Yadav in the next ball with a golden googly.
Post the match, Bishnoi spoke about how he was inspired by the likes of Dhoni, Kohli, and Sharma. He said that they are legends of the game and if their wickets helped in winning the game for the team, it would be great. He was then asked about which batsman was the most challenging to bowl to, Bishnoi answered with Surya’s name. He said, “Kohli, Dhoni, and Rohit are special and great players but for me, Suryakumar Yadav has been the most challenging. So, it is always more satisfying to outfox him.”
These kind words from Bishnoi must surely please Yadav who has had a relatively tough going in this leg of the IPL. However, we are all aware of Yadav’s capability to destroy opposition bowling attacks with his aggressive batting. He is one of the most prized wickets in the Mumbai Indians batting line-up for any team in the IPL.
