"If I am fortunate enough, I would love to bowl with Rashid Khan" - Ravi Bishnoi on his ideal bowling partner
Team India leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi has expressed his desire to bowl alongside Rashid Khan one day. Both players take a similar approach to leg-spin and rely on their variations rather than the classic approach with flight.
The former U-19 World Cup member has taken significant strides over the last couple of years. He ventured into the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a stint for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) before being picked by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
His consistent exploits earned him a call-up for the national side, where he shone immediately with a player-of-the-match performance on his debut.
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Naming Rashid Khan as his dream bowling partner while praising teammate and fellow leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Bishnoi said on Sports Over the Top on Sports18:
“It was fun bowling with Yuzvendra Chahal as you know he is one of the top 5 spinners right now. If I am fortunate enough, I would love to bowl with Rashid Khan because I will get to learn how to bowl in a partnership.”
Despite claiming 16 wickets in 10 matches since his debut earlier this year, the youngster could not seal a place in Team India's squad for T20 World Cup 2022. He has been named as one of the stand-by players and will travel with the squad to Australia next month.
The IPL has helped Bishnoi make a quicker transition in terms of his ability. The league offers youngsters the opportunity to pick some of the best brains in the business and compete against the top players in the world.
Speaking about how the IPL has benefitted him, Bishnoi said:
“The IPL has supported me a lot because in age group cricket everyone is of the same age or maybe younger but in IPL there is no age limit, senior players, international players so you get to learn a lot when you share the dressing room with these players and you get to bowl to so many legends.”
Bishnoi has played 37 matches in the IPL since making his debut in the 2020 edition, and has claimed 37 wickets at an economy of 7.53.
"I started as a medium pacer but switched to leg spin" - Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi came into the spotlight through the 2018 edition of the U-19 World Cup, where he finished as the tournament's highest wicket-taker. He was then roped in by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as a net bowler in 2018, before being picked by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the auction.
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Revealing that he began his journey as a bowler by bowling medium pace, he said:
"I started as a medium pacer but switched to leg spin and developed an interest and enjoyed the art of leg spin. That is when I started taking cricket seriously when I was around 11-12 years old.”
The leg-spinner has not been picked for the white-ball series against Australia and South Africa. He is expected to be in the team's plans after T20 World Cup 2022.
Was the youngster's omission for the tournament a harsh call taken by the selectors? Let us know what you think.