Who is Vijay Pavle?
Vijay Pavle is a right-arm medium-fast bowler who plies his trade for the Ratnagiri Jets in the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL). A star in the tennis ball cricket circuit, Pavle grabbed the opportunity to rub shoulders with Maharashtra’s best white-ball cricketers by having a prolific MPL 2023.
Last year, Pavle picked up 10 wickets after being acquired in the auction for just INR 20k. While he was consistent during the tournament, his 3/33 against the Solapur Royals and 2/22 against the PBG Kolhapur Tuskers were outstanding bowling spells. He was a major reason why the Jets were crowned the champions of MPL 2023.
Nicknamed the “Sangli Express,” Pavle has dismissed seven batters in the ongoing edition of the MPL. In the match against 4S Puneri Bappa, the pacer dismissed Sachin Bhosale, who was batting on 22 off nine balls at that moment. This wicket turned out to be crucial, as the match remained closely contested until the end.
He picked up the only two wickets in his side’s defeat to the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings, one of which was an absolute peach of a delivery. If not for Pavle, the margin of defeat would have put a dent in the Jets’ net run rate. Although he hasn’t been on song throughout the season, he has still been able to perform at crucial junctures, which is the true mark of a champion player.
Vijay Pavle is a renowned all-rounder in tennis ball cricket
Although Vijay Pavle’s batting numbers are not of any note in the MPL, he is a proper all-rounder when it comes to the tennis ball format of the game. In fact, he wasn’t introduced to leather ball cricket until his late teens. His proficiency and passion for tennis ball cricket translated into success in the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) with Majhi Mumbai.
Pavle’s all-round exploits were crucial to Majhi Mumbai finishing as runners-up in the inaugural edition of the ISPL. His brilliant work in the outfield also earned him the Best Fielder award in the tournament, in which Sachin Tendulkar is a Core Committee Member.
Speaking of Sachin Tendulkar, Vijay Pavle has bowled to the Bharat Ratna awardee. This was back in the early days of the IPL, when the likes of Shaun Pollock and Munaf Patel donned Mumbai Indians jerseys. Pavle got the chance to share the field with these great cricketers, and since then, he has always given his best whenever he has stepped onto the field.
The 29-year-old’s rise to fame in tennis ball cricket came after an impressive performance against Ding Dong Cricket Club of Pune. This brought him into the spotlight, eventually leading to his signing with the same club. His continued strong displays in the tennis ball circuit also earned him a place in the Indian tennis ball team, which played against Pakistan in Sharjah.
He has already achieved a lot in tennis ball cricket. As more tennis ball cricketers continue to shine in the leather ball cricket scene, Pavle’s potential knows no bounds if he continues to work hard on all fronts.
