Birthday special: Parthiv Patel – India’s wicketkeeper-batter in reserve
In the year 2002, a young Indian cricketer, all of just 17 years old, made his debut for India against the England side at Trent Bridge. And, from then on, even though Parthiv Patel could not get a long run in the Indian side, he has been in the scenes of Indian cricket for a long time.
Patel played his first match for the Indian side in 2002 and his last in 2018. In this 16-year time frame, he represented the Indian side in 25 Tests and 38 ODI matches. While he scored close to 1000 runs in Test match cricket, the left-hander plundered 736 runs in the ODI format of the game.
However, Patel experienced a stellar run in the high-profile IPL. The left-hander has featured in 139 matches in the IPL and has scored close to 3000 runs, including 13 half-centuries.
Patel also contributed some significant performances for the Indian side. He scored 71 at the top of the order against England in the year 2016, as the then Virat Kohli-led side decimated their opposition by an innings and 75 runs.
He also scored a handy 56 on a tricky wicket in Port of Spain in an ODI match to allow the Indian side to beat the West Indies by seven wickets. Even though he could not establish himself in the Indian side, Patel was always there to lend a helping hand when the team needed him to do so.
When Patel announced his retirement in 2020, the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly said that Parthiv was an excellent ambassador for Indian cricket. Ganguly also added that Patel’s hard work helped him earn a lot of laurels for the Indian cricket team.
“Parthiv has been a brilliant ambassador for Indian cricket. He has always been a team man and it was a pleasure to Captain him when he made his international debut at the age of seventeen. His hard work has earned him laurels in international and domestic cricket,” said Ganguly.
Parthiv Patel is celebrating his 37th birthday today.
