Praveen Kumar Profile by CricketArchive

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Player:

P Kumar

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DateLine: 7th June 2008

 

He joins a long list of current crop of players from small states and has three Uttar Pradesh team mates in the Indian team with him, in RP Singh, Mohd. Kaif, Suresh Raina and Piyush Chawla. Playing for his state in the domestic circuit, he has earned a workmanlike reputation. It is said that he can do anything and everything on the cricket field. He is a fast bowler with the ability to toil away on unresponsive Indian wickets and doubles up as a carefree hitter down the order, and sometimes even as a surprise opener.

 

He grabbed the limelight in only his Ranji Trophy debut match, picking up nine wickets against Haryana. Kumar was key to UP winning the title in his first Ranji season, taking 41 wickets and scoring 368 runs. His consistency earned him a call-up to the India A squad touring Kenya in 2007. There he won the man of the series award, which meant that the time had come for a call up to the national team.

 

He made his debut against the visiting Pakistanis and played in two ODIs. Another strong Ranji Trophy series, including eight wickets in an innings during the final against Delhi, earned him a spot in India's 16-man squad for the CB Series in Australia. There he furthr strengthened his reputation, claiming 10 wickets in four games, including a match-winning spell in the final.

 

He bowled valiantly in a losing cause for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL.