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Pawan Negi: Explosive lower-order hitter and canny left-arm spinner

Largely an unknown quantity, Negi is a left-handed all-rounder who bowls tidy spin and hits the ball hard and long.

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Pawan Negi © IANS
Pawan Negi took 5 for 22 in the CLT20 2014 final © IANS

Pawan Negi was the surprise pick in India’s squads for the ICC World T20 2016 and Asia Cup T20 2016. Largely an unknown quantity, Negi is a left-handed all-rounder who bowls tidy spin and hits the ball hard and long. Negi plays domestic cricket for Delhi and has also played Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. In fact, it was his exploits in IPL and later Champions League T20 (CLT20) that first brought him to the limelight. He has the ability to bowl tight lines and tie down the batsmen, and has also shown the ability to hit sixes from ball one. READ: India squad for Asia Cup T20 2016: Perfect practice ahead of ICC World T20 2016

It is interesting that Negi finds a place in the side ahead of the likes of Irfan Pathan and Amit Mishra, more so because India are already bursting with spinners. Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Harbhajan Singh are the frontline spinners, while Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina bowl regularly as well. With an abundance of spin already present in the side, Negi could be a bit of a redundancy in the squad. READ: India get their balance right for ICC World T20 2016; Amit Mishra and Irfan Pathan bound to feel unlucky

Negi’s moment of glory came in the CLT20 2014 final — incidentally the last ever match of the now-defunct tournament. Batting first, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) reached 180 for 6 in their 20 overs. Negi ran through KKR, taking 5 for 22 including three wickets in the 19th over of the innings. His victims were all proper batsmen: Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Suryakumar Yadav.

Negi is a more than useful batsman as well. In 8 List A innings he averages 37.40 at a strike rate of 102.18 with one fifty. In 43 innings in T20 cricket he averages 19.16 but with a strike rate of 134.92. These are excellent numbers for someone who will bat in the bottom half of the line-up. READ: IPL 2016 Player Auction: Top 10 bowlers to watch out for

It is debateable whether Irfan would have been a better choice for India’s 15th squad member. Irfan would have given India an extra seam-bowling option while also making for a dependable lower-order batsman. Irfan was also the leading wicket-taker of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2016, where he led Baroda to the final. It would not have been a huge surprise had he made it to the Indian squads for the ICC World T20 2016 and Asia Cup T20 2016, but Negi managed to sneak through.

Chances are that Negi will not make it to India’s first-choice playing XI, but in the event of an injury or a loss of form, Negi will make for a good replacement. What he lacks in experience he makes up for in ability.

Negi is a worthy addition to India’s squads, but India would perhaps prefer it if they do not need to call upon him at all.

(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)

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