Nishanth Saranu, the towering six-foot-nine-inch pacer from Hyderabad’s U-19 team, grabbed the spotlight during Pakistan’s practice session in preparation for the upcoming World Cup.

Nishanth, currently in his second year of U-19 cricket, was among the net bowlers available to the Pakistani team as they geared up for training in Hyderabad. Despite a high-profile arrival, Pakistan wasted no time in hitting the nets, with a warm-up fixture against New Zealand looming on the horizon.

After Pakistan’s experienced bowlers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi had completed their spells, the team’s support staff, including bowling coach Morne Morkel, selected Nishanth from the pool of net bowlers. The young Hyderabad pacer, who typically bowls in the 140-150 kmph range, received feedback to increase his pace significantly.

This advice was shared with all the pacers who took part in the practice session. Nishanth, known for generating extra bounce due to his height, primarily bowled to tail-enders during the session. Notably, opener Fakhar Zaman expressed his belief that Nishanth could achieve great heights if he could complement his bounce with increased pace.

“I currently can bowl up to 125-130 kmph. Morne (Morkel) sir asked me to increase my pace. He also inquired if I would be available to bowl at the nets of IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants,” Nishanth revealed as quoted in a PTI report. He draws inspiration from Australian pace sensations Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

It’s worth noting that Nishanth has prior experience bowling to international batters. Before the India-New Zealand ODI held in Hyderabad, Nishanth was called upon to assist and even posted a picture with New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips.

With Pakistan’s extended stay in Hyderabad for nearly two weeks, Nishanth will have several opportunities to showcase his talent. His aspirations include representing Hyderabad at the first-class level, with dreams of a promising career in both white and red-ball cricket. 

(With Inputs From PTI)