Navdeep Saini was playing for West Delhi Lions in this year’s Delhi Premier League when he received a call-up for the Duleep Trophy. With Mohammad Siraj falling ill, Saini was asked to join India B as a replacement player. This presented an opportunity for him to re-enter the selectors’ plans. After a seven-month hiatus from red-ball cricket, Saini had been planning to gradually ease back into action through white-ball games in the DPL. However, when he received a late call-up for the Duleep Trophy as Siraj’s replacement, he had to quickly regain his red-ball rhythm in Bengaluru. And he did just that.
In the first two days of the four-day match, Saini made an immediate impact. With India B struggling at 94/7, Saini stepped in to support the young Musheer Khan. Musheer simply asked Saini to hold his ground, but the Delhi cricketer delivered far more than expected. Facing India A’s formidable bowling attack, Saini stood firm at the crease for an impressive 349 minutes—his longest stint to date—during a brilliant 205-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Musheer. His innings, a blend of resolute defence and occasional aggressive strokes, earned him a well-deserved half-century, his second in first-class cricket. Those who follow Saini on social media know that when he’s off the field, he dedicates significant time to honing his batting skills behind the scenes.
Saini’s crucial contribution with the bat helped his team to post a competitive total of 321. But his impact didn’t end there. On the second day, he followed up with an impressive spell with the new ball, dismissing both Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal. Saini quickly became a trending topic on social media, particularly for the way he dismissed Gill.
The right-arm pacer delivered the ball outside off stump, and Gill didn’t anticipate the sharp inward movement after it pitched. The ball swung in the air late, landed on the seam and jagged in sharply, crashing into the stumps. Gill, not expecting the movement, shouldered arms and watched in shock as the ball shattered his stumps. The dismissal drew comparisons to Gill’s wicket at the hands of Australia’s Scott Boland in the previous year’s World Test Championship final. Saini also dismissed Mayank for 36, thanks to a brilliant diving catch by Rishabh Pant down the leg side. Despite months away from red-ball cricket, Saini was fully engaged in the game, unsettling the India A batters.
KL Rahul, meanwhile, had his share of luck. He survived twice, including a near-miss when a loose drive almost dragged the ball onto his stumps, sparing him from becoming Saini’s third victim. Saini bowled an impressive spell on a challenging Bengaluru pitch. While runs were scored off him, he provided crucial early breakthroughs and regularly forced the India A batters to play. Returning for his next spell, he trapped Dhruv Jurel lbw, helping to bowl India A out for 231. Saini finished as the standout bowler with figures of 3/60. Though his second innings with the bat didn’t yield much, he claimed two more wickets, leading his team to a 76-run victory.
With five wickets and 69 runs in the match, it was a solid all-round performance for someone who had struggled in previous games against the England Lions and in South Africa last season.
Saini bowled with pace, precision, and effectively used the angles. Like many fast bowlers, he has his sights set on a spot in the Indian Test squad for the upcoming Australia tour. Having been part of the team that won in Australia last time, he’ll be eager for another opportunity.
With height, raw pace, and the ability to move the ball, Saini possesses the qualities needed to be a consistent wicket-taker at the Test level. However, he needs to maintain his fitness, given his injury history. His performances in the Duleep Trophy will be critical. If he continues to impress, a Test call-up could come sooner than expected. All eyes will be on how he fares in the rest of the matches for India B in the Duleep Trophy.