10 Facts about Pardeep Sahu – The Leggie from Haryana

When Pardeep Sahu took the field for Kings XI Punjab against the Gujarat Lions in the IPL this year, many wondered who the leg-spinner was. Sahu made an early start to his career but failed to capitalize on the key moments of his career timeline and played largely under the shadows of Amit Mishra in the Ranji Trophy for Haryana. Here are some interesting facts about Pardeep Sahu, that will help you know the cricketer.

1. Born on:

Pardeep Sahu was born on 25 August 1985 at Bhiwani in Haryana.

2. Bowling Style and Variations:

Sahu is a leg-break bowler who has an action that leads up to the crease calmly, much like a typical leg-spinner. His key variations are the zooter and flipper.

3. First-class career – Early start:

Sahu made his first-class debut for Haryana at the age of 17 years in the 2002-03 season. As a young talent, he garnered some attention but didn’t perform well. He made his List A debut in 2005 for Haryana but went wicketless.

4. Five-wicket haul to follow:

Playing against Tripura at Rohtak in the Ranji Trophy in 2003, Sahu got his maiden five-wicket haul. He returned with figures of 6/96. It remains to be his best performance in first-class matches.

5. Apprentice to Amit Mishra:

He has largely played under the shadow of veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra, the veteran leg-spinner from Haryana. He is best known to play the apprentice or the second fiddle to Mishra in the domestic circuit.

6. Handy with the bat:

Pardeep Sahu can be handy with the bat too. He can hit the long ball and can hang around at the crease as well. He has the top score of 72 in first-class matches and an averages 24.94 with the bat. The right-handed batsman plays in the lower middle order.

7. Perfect 10:

He made the headlines in 2014 when he picked up all 10 wickets in an innings in Kanga League A Division. He became the fourth bowler to do so in the history of the tournament. Sahu returned with figures of 29-1-102-10 for Payyade Sports Club against hosts MIG Cricket Club to join the elite club.

8. Role model:

He idolizes legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne. After his historic 10-wicket haul in a local game, Sahu had said that he always watches videos of Shane Warne to pick up a trick or two.

9. IPL contract:

His 10-wicket haul in the Kanga League saw him fetch a contract with the Rajasthan Royals in 2015. He was sold for his base price 10 Lakhs. In the next auctions, he was roped in by the Kings XI Punjab for the same amount.

10. Major teams:

Despite being a veteran in the domestic circuit, Pardeep Sahu has given his services to only Haryana in the domestic circuit. He has played for 2 IPL franchises – Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.