Birthday special: Ravi Bishnoi – A very promising leg-spin prospect for India

During India U19 team’s run till the final during the ICC U19 World Cup 2020 in South Africa, there was a leg-spinner from Rajasthan who caught the attention of a lot of fans. The young leggie picked up 17 wickets from six matches at an average of 10.65. He did his best but India failed to win the tournament. However, Ravi Bishnoi left a mark on the world stage and emerged as one of the more exciting young talents in the world.

By the time he had his top-notch performance for India U-19, Bishnoi had already made a name for himself with his bag of tricks at the domestic stage. This in fact helped him to get an IPL contract as well. Now he plays for Punjab Kings and soon will be playing for them in the 2021 season’s UAE leg. But, his journey till this point has had a few ups and downs, which have toughened him up.

A promising leg-spinner

Born in Jodhpur, Bishnoi didn’t have the best of facilities in his hometown in West Rajasthan. His determination and love for the game made him and some of his friends make their own cricket academy with the help of two coaches. It has been also told that he along with his friend did all the mason’s job for the academy due to lack of funds.

Early in his career, he faced a few rejections as he wasn’t taken into the U-16 trials. He was rejected twice for the Rajasthan U-19 trials as well, before eventually getting an opportunity. After impressing everyone at the U-19 level, he also got an opportunity to make his debut for Rajasthan senior team in February 2019 and remember, this was a year before he played the U-19 World Cup.

On September 05, 2021, Ravi Bishnoi will turn 21. He is among only a few young cricketers in the country who are destined to have a bright future. Having played 18 matches so far in the IPL, the young leggie has shown that he can match up to the high standards of the sport and has picked up 16 wickets at an average of 29 with an economy of 7.

With all the talent in the world, Bishnoi would now be looking to make a mark and enter the India A team for now. There is no doubt in the years to come we might see him play for India in white-ball cricket. He is yet to make his first-class debut, but there is no doubt that there is a bright future for this young man who has the ability to bamboozle batsmen with his variations.