India’s New Standby Bowler Arzan Nagwaswalla Reveals His Cricketing Idol

Arzan Nagwaswalla, the 23-year old left-arm pacer from a small village of Nargol in Gujarat has made it big and is on the path for bigger. He has been named as one of the 4 standby players, alongside a 20-player Indian squad, to tour UK for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the subsequent five-Test series versus England.

Arzan Nagwaswalla revealed none other than legendary Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan as his idol and inspiration – the left-arm angle being the prominent reason for that. Khan took over 600 wickets for India, including a terrific 2011 World Cup where he was the join-leading wicket-taker, with Shahid Afridi, picking up 21 wickets helping India win the title.

“My bowling idol and inspiration has always been Zaheer Khan mainly because he has also been a left-arm pacer. I have grown up watching him playing for India and doing really well,” Arzan Nagwaswalla told BCCI.TV.

Bumrah always told me to learn as much as I can from everyone: Arzan Nagwaswalla

Arzan Nagwaswalla his debut for Gujarat in 2018. He shot up the ranks and into the national reckoning on the back of brilliant performances in domestic cricket. In the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 he was Gujarat’s leading wicket-taker with 41 scalps at an average of 18.36 charging the side till the semifinal. He bagged three five-fors in the season, including a 10-wicket haul against Punjab.

His impressive show in domestic cricket earned him a call-up to the trails for the Mumbai Indians. There he worked with his statemate, Jasprit Bumrah, Zaheer Khan, and Shane Bond. The youngster reveals that Bumrah had advised him to learn as much as possible.

“Although we have not played together in domestic cricket because Bumrah has been representing India, whenever we have practiced together (at Mumbai Indians), he has always told me to learn as much as I can from everyone – be it from Zaheer bhai or Shane Bond or from anyone. From thereon, it is upto you to decide what you want to do,” the pacer revealed.

Also Read: The Hundred: Shafali Verma Joins Birmingham Phoenix For The Inaugural Season