Navdeep Saini picked up two wickets in his very first over in international cricket. Making his debut in the 1st T20I against West Indies in USA on Saturday, Saini cleaned up Nicholas Pooran with his fourth ball and bowled Shimron Hetmeyer with his fifth ball. Dream debut for Navdeep Saini as he picks up two in two. West Indies 28/4 after 5 #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/BtVvzKoCry — BCCI (@BCCI) August 3, 2019 A hat-trick, which would have made his debut even more sensational, was not to be, however, as he bowled the last ball of the over wide of off stump. However, his double blow had rattled the West Indies team. With the other youngster in the team, Khaleel Ahmed, also chipping in with a wicket in the next over, the home team were struggling at 33 Saini claimed the wicket of Kieron Pollard (49) in the 20th over to finish with figures of 3/17 on debut. Saini is the second India bowler to have taken two wickets in his first T20I over. Pragyan Ojha had taken two wickets in his first T20I over against Bangladesh in 2009. Saini is the first India bowler to have bowled a maiden over in the 20th over of a T20I. In T20Is, this had happened only twice previously - Jeetan Patel vs West Indies in 2008 and Mohammad Amir vs Australia in 2010. Gambhir's role in Saini's rise However, till six years ago, Saini had never played leather ball cricket. Back then, he used to play tennis-ball cricket in local tournaments in Haryana, getting paid Rs 200 per appearance, according to TOI. His raw pace - he is known for crossing 150 kph on the speedometer - impressed many and he was called up to the nets sessions of the Delhi Ranji team. It was here that Saini caught the eye of Gautam Gambhir. It was Gambhir who arranged a pair of boots for Saini and asked him to be a regular at the Delhi nets. Soon, Gambhir was also arguing with the selectors for Saini to be picked in the Delhi team. In the 2013/14 season, Saini finally made his first class debut. Since then, there has been no looking back. Gambhir tweeted minutes after Saini's dream debut over: "Kudos Navdeep Saini on ur India debut. U already have 2 wkts even before u have bowled— @BishanBedi & @ChetanChauhanCr. Their middle stumps are gone seeing debut of a player whose cricketing obituary they wrote even before he stepped on the field, shame!!!" Kudos Navdeep Saini on ur India debut. U already have 2 wkts even before u have bowled— @BishanBedi & @ChetanChauhanCr. Their middle stumps are gone seeing debut of a player whose cricketing obituary they wrote even before he stepped on the field, shame!!! @BCCI pic.twitter.com/skD77GYjk9 — Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 3, 2019 Saini was also the most penetrative pacer for Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year's IPL, picking 11 wickets, but his efforts were lost in the team’s miserable season. “I just need one breakthrough series,” he had told the IPL website. That breakthrough series might just have come for him in the USA.
