Nishanth Saranu, a six feet nine inches tall pace bowler from Hyderabad, caught the attention of Pakistani cricketers during their net session in preparation for the World Cup. Nishanth, who is currently in his second year of under-19 cricket, was among the group of net bowlers available to Pakistan’s team for practice. After arriving in the city, the team wasted no time and began training immediately, with Nishanth being chosen by the support staff, including bowling coach Morne Morkel, after Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi had finished their spells.
Naturally, Pakistani bowlers, including Rauf and Shaheen, are comfortable bowling in the 140-150 kmph range. Therefore, the young Hyderabad bowler was encouraged to increase his pace significantly to match his height and generate bounce. Nishanth bowled to the lower-order batsmen, impressing opener Fakhar Zaman, who believed that the talented young bowler could go far if he added speed to his deliveries.
During the net session, Morkel, who is also associated with the Lucknow Super Giants IPL franchise, asked Nishanth if he would be available to bowl in the team’s nets. Nishanth revealed that he currently bowls at a speed of 125-130 kmph and expressed his admiration for Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
This is not Nishanth’s first experience bowling to international batters. He was called upon to bowl during the India-New Zealand ODI in Hyderabad and even shared a picture with batsman Glenn Phillips. With Pakistan staying in the city for nearly two weeks, Nishanth will have multiple opportunities to showcase his skills on a bigger stage.
Nishanth’s ambitions extend beyond white-ball cricket as he aspires to have a career in both formats of the game. His immediate goal is to represent Hyderabad at the first-class level. With the exposure and opportunities coming his way, Nishanth is hopeful for a promising future in cricket.