Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 31, 2025, 09:00 PM
IND vs ENG: Saqib Mahmood's name may not be very familiar to Indian cricket fans, but after the Pune T20 match, everyone will remember this English pacer. This young fast bowler from England destroyed the Indian batting order with his brilliant bowling. Especially his field setting and bowling length troubled the Indian batsmen a lot. In this match in Pune, he pushed Team India on the backfoot by taking three important wickets in a single over.Three wickets in a single over, a big blow to the Indian teamSaqib Mahmood got a chance to play in the T20 series for the first time. He did not get a place in the playing eleven in the first three matches, but in the fourth T20 he was included in place of Mark Wood. As soon as he stepped on the field, this fast bowler did wonders.His deadly spell started with the wicket of Sanju Samson, whom he dismissed on a short ball. After this, he dismissed Tilak Verma on the very next ball, who got caught at third man. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was also caught out by Saqib Mahmood at short mid-wicket with his brilliant strategy.Saqib Mahmood: England's rising starSaqib Mahmood is a player of Pakistani origin, due to which he had some difficulties in getting an Indian visa. However, he was born on 25 February 1997 in Birmingham, England. He is a fast bowler who is adept at swinging both new and old balls.He made his debut for England in T20 in 2019 and ODI in 2020. In the same year, he also made his Test debut. Talking about his career, so far he has taken 6 wickets in 2 Test matches, 14 wickets in 9 ODIs and 21 wickets in T20s.He is known as a great swing bowler in England's domestic cricket. Apart from this, he has also proved his ability in the death overs. His lethal bowling in Pune T20 proved that he is a valuable player for England cricket.Warning for the Indian teamThe way Saqib Mahmood performed in Pune T20, he can prove to be a big threat for the Indian team in the upcoming matches. His fast and swing bowling pushed the Indian batsmen completely on the backfoot. If he maintains this rhythm, it will be a big plus point for the England team.Indian batsmen will have to prepare a solid strategy to deal with Saqib Mahmood in the next matches. Otherwise, this young England pacer can again put them in trouble.