Hyderabad's rising talent, Nishanth Saranu, towering at an impressive height of six feet nine inches, caught the eye during Pakistan's net practice ahead of their World Cup warm-up game against New Zealand. Nishanth, currently in his second year of U-19 cricket, joined the pool of net bowlers available to the Pakistan team, showcasing his potential during their practice session following a high-profile arrival in the city.
Pakistan is gearing up to face New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up fixture, making these practice sessions crucial for fine-tuning their gameplay. Amongst the net bowlers, Nishanth stood out, especially after seasoned bowlers like Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi had completed their turns. The Pakistani support staff, including bowling coach Morne Morkel, singled out Nishanth from the group of eager net bowlers. Despite Pakistani bowlers typically delivering at speeds of 140-150 kmph, they urged the young Hyderabad pacer to increase his pace significantly.
In response to this feedback, Nishanth expressed his commitment to enhancing his pace. He currently bowls at speeds of 125-130 kmph and aspires to emulate the Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, whom he idolizes. Morne Morkel, also part of the Lucknow Super Giants' support staff, even inquired about Nishanth's availability to bowl at the IPL franchise's nets.
Nishanth has previous experience bowling to international batters, having been called for duty ahead of an India-New Zealand ODI. With Pakistan set to remain in the city for almost two weeks, Nishanth looks forward to seizing numerous opportunities to showcase his talent and aims for a promising future in both white and red-ball cricket. His immediate goal is to represent Hyderabad at the first-class level.
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