In his bridegroom year of 31, Navdeep Saini’s cricket story is a romantic one – the raw speed and that crackling brief history in domestic cricket rates that kind of stuff – the type conjured up only after you’ve persevered long enough to debut also-r culminating at the end of your twenties. The skinny fast bowler from Karnal, Haryana introduced himself not just with express pace – routinely hammering up around 145 kph — but also in an old-school way; he could extract disturbing bounce from a whippy action. His career trajectory has bubble-and-squeaked here, souffléed there, damaged by injury and form oscillations after starting with a pureé or mousseline in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but his first-class record speaks in powerful tones to break out generously over 150 wickets at an mid-20s average. The profile of Saini is therefore an unusual one — a bowler with headline-grabbing T20 fantasy franchise pocket-busting exploits for the RCB and Rajasthan Royals but perhaps, still most truly a relentless red-ball workhorse biding his time for his next long period at Test match level.
Personal Information
Details
Name
Navdeep Saini
Age
November 23, 1992 (32 years)
Birth Place
Karnal, Haryana
Height
–
Role
Bowler
Batting Style
Right Handed Bat
Bowling Style
Right arm fast
Country
India
ICC Batting Rankings
Test
–
ODI
–
T20
–
ICC Bowling Rankings
Test
–
ODI
–
T20
–
Navdeep Saini’s Bowling Career Stats
The profile of Navdeep Saini is a fascinating analysis of the two sides of raw pace — its exhilarating possibilities and its punishing demands. His career numbers across formats describe a bowler managerially able of decisive contributions, but still in search of consistency. In First-Class cricket – his strong suit – the figures are impressive: 150-plus wickets to go with an average in the low 20s, indicating a glutton for red-ball work. But when it comes to International and IPLs, the script changes. He certainly knows a wicket but his economy (often around 9 in T20s) peg him as high-risk, high-reward stock. His numbers are more than that, they amount to one man’s story of a fast bowler walking the tightrope between something that comes naturally — that hint of gunpowder on ball — and the strict regimen required at international level.
Test Format Stats
Test
Match
2
Innings
4
Balls
251
Runs
172
Wickets
4
Average
43
Economy
4.11
Strike Rate
62.75
Best Bowling Inning
2/54
Best Bowling Match
4/119
5w
0
10w
0
ODI Format Stats
Saini’s ODI career, short though it was, is the tale of someone with raw pace who’s looking to be polished. In 7 matches played, he grabbed 6 wickets and his best figures of 3/62 demonstrate that he has ability to take wickets. But an economy rate of 7.00 underlines that difficulty to keep batsmen for long time. His numbers are of someone with the ability to detonate – not yet tamed enough to string together overs designed for upping stakes over a 50-over stint.
ODI
Match
8
Innings
8
Balls
420
Runs
481
Wickets
6
Average
80.17
Economy
6.87
Strike Rate
70
Best Bowling Inning
2/58
Best Bowling Match
2/58
5w
0
10w
0
T20I Format Stats
The numbers behind Navdeep Saini’s T20I career sum up the archetypical fast bowler’s conundrum in the shortest format. In his 8 appearances for India, he snapped up 9 wickets showing to be a genuine one taking threat. Has best figures of 3/28 illustrating that he can produce the match-winning spells. But an economy rate of 9.26 reflects the trade-off between aggression and control that is always going to be integral in his career.
T20
Match
11
Innings
9
Balls
197
Runs
235
Wickets
13
Average
18.08
Economy
7.16
Strike Rate
15.15
Best Bowling Inning
3/17
Best Bowling Match
3/17
5w
0
10w
0
IPL Format Stats
Navdeep Saini’s IPL numbers speak of blaze-of-glory potential and pursuit for sustained consistency. In 47 games he’s picked up an aggregate of 38 wickets, with his best return coming in the form of 11 during his debut season for RCB in 2019. Known for his toe-crushers at well over 150 kmph, his economy rate of 8.72 reflects the high-risk-high-reward in-the-face-fast bowler role that he was employed in.
IPL
Match
32
Innings
32
Balls
658
Runs
974
Wickets
23
Average
42.35
Economy
8.88
Strike Rate
28.61
Best Bowling Inning
3/40
Best Bowling Match
3/40
5w
0
10w
0
Navdeep Saini’s Batting Career Stats
Even as the attention remains duly fixated on his unambiguous speed, Navdeep Saini’s numbers for India boast a curious, albeit fleeting sub-plot of unforeseen resistance. He is an 11 by trade, but he has this rare talent of springing to life with some scintillating lower-order resistance that belies his job title. His most storied entry in his batting record is probably his Test debut at the Gabba in 2021, during which a gritty career-best 5 not out from 15 balls was a critical part of India’s miraculous resistance with Shardul Thakur – helping to wear down an Australian attack over a match for the ages. The numbers are predictably meager across the formats — his T20I average is a measly 9.62, but they don’t tell the story of the perceived value of those valuable catches. His highest First-Class score is 30 – not an indicator that he can hang around, while his T20 strike rate (regularly over 130) alludes to a raw, uncomplicated power that could add a surprisingly late-innings flourish. The profile of Saini’s batting, then, is not average-based or half-century centred, but one contextualised based on the merit of how those runs have been scored—damning on its own and yet such memorable and meaningful for the teams he plays.
A bit-part player in ODIs is not the same as a reserve, but Navdeep Saini’s limited 50-over career for India so far is an image of potential. In 7 outings, he has picked up as many wickets and with his pace of fire but economy (7.00) tells the story; of inconsistency. His career-best of 3/62 against Sri Lanka serves as an example of the kind of damaging spells he can bowl when rhythm and accuracy come together.
ODI
Match
8
Innings
5
Runs
107
Ball Faced
137
Highest Score
45
Average
53.5
Strike Rate
78.11
NO
3
Fours
9
Sixes
3
50s
0
100s
0
200s
0
T20I Format Stats
Navdeep Saini may not have the longest T20I career but if he is known for something, it’s his unadulterated speed and a few flashes of brilliance. He has picked 9 wickets in 8 games and has proved his worth as a nightmare for the batters. His most impressive spell is 3/28 against Sri Lanka. A career economy rate of 9.26 signposts the potential upside/downside inherent in his bowling, where the quest for wickets can sometimes be expensive.
T20
Match
11
Innings
3
Runs
12
Ball Faced
11
Highest Score
11
Average
0
Strike Rate
109.1
NO
3
Fours
2
Sixes
0
50s
0
100s
0
200s
0
IPL Format Stats
The tale of Navdeep Saini’s IPL ride has been one of sheer speed and ups and downs. Emerging during a stunning debutante season for Royal Challengers Bangalore, he 2019 year was spectacular, racking up 11 wickets with scorching yorkers. Though his consistency and health wavered in later seasons, raw speed has always been a weapon. In 47 games he has taken 38 wickets, personifying the high-risk, high-reward template of a contemporary T20 fast bowler.
IPL
Match
32
Innings
7
Runs
33
Ball Faced
37
Highest Score
12
Average
8.25
Strike Rate
89.19
NO
3
Fours
3
Sixes
0
50s
0
100s
0
200s
0
Navdeep Saini’s Career Information
The story of Navdeep Saini is an interesting one of a talent that rose through the rough and tumble world of domestic cricket, his raw pace being his visa for international cricket. A product of Karnal, His ascent in Haryana and India A team was based on him taking wickets regularly which paved way for a memorable international debut in 2019. Injuries and form slide in between have broken up his time in the national spotlight but it is his brutish pace, and ability to extract steepling bounce more than anything, that are his calling cards. What may find its way into Saini’s career information, therefore, is a mishmash of some sublime First-Class references and impactful cameos in the IPL for franchises such as RCB and RR, along with promise of a fast bowler whose best chapters lie ahead.
T20 debut
vs West Indies, Aug 03 at 2019 at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground
Last T20
vs Sri Lanka, Jul 28 at 2021 at R.Premadasa Stadium
Test debut
vs Australia, Jan 07 at 2021 at Sydney Cricket Ground
Last Test
vs Australia, Jan 15 at 2021 at The Gabba
Odi debut
vs West Indies, Dec 22 at 2019 at Barabati Stadium
Last Odi
vs Sri Lanka, Jul 23 at 2021 at R.Premadasa Stadium
Ipl debut
vs Chennai Super Kings, Mar 23 at 2019 at MA Chidambaram Stadium
Last Ipl
vs Punjab Kings, May 19 at 2023 at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium
