Around this time last year, the buzz was all about the Duleep Trophy. For the first time in a long while, a domestic tournament was receiving a lot of attention — largely due to the participation of marquee players such as Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan.
Amidst these big names, one uncapped player made headlines in the first week of the tournament with a sensational seven-wicket haul. On a seam-friendly Anantapur pitch, the left-arm spinner impressed everyone with his craft. One year later, that same player is back in the headlines. Yes, he has taken another five-wicket haul — this time for India A against Australia A in Lucknow. But this time, there’s more to it. According to reports, the player is likely to earn his maiden national call-up for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. His name is Manav Suthar.
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Those who have been following domestic cricket will know what Manav brings to the table. He’s been on the fringes for a while now. The Rajasthan-based cricketer made his first-class debut in 2022, and within a year, became a regular feature in India A squads.
In his first major assignment for India A, Manav picked up 10 wickets at an average of 19.50 in the Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. Later in 2023, he toured South Africa with India A. Despite the presence of Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Saurabh Kumar limiting his opportunities, he continued to stay in the mix.
Earlier in 2024, he played against the England Lions in Ahmedabad, where he showcased another dimension to his game: batting. The left-handed batter saved the game for his side with a gritty 89 off 254 balls. Alongside KS Bharat, he stitched a match-winning 207-run partnership.
Not only that, he also finished the series as India’s second-highest wicket-taker, with eight wickets to his name — the best tally among the spinners in the series. In the subsequent Duleep Trophy, he again featured among the top wicket-takers. Manav was also part of the travelling group for the A tours to Australia and England recently. He’s been consistently getting opportunities and, with each one, he’s evolving as a cricketer.
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Like his idol Ravichandran Ashwin, Manav seems to have developed the bowling smarts needed at the highest level. His most recent spell is evidence of that. On the opening day of the second unofficial Test in Lucknow, Manav claimed five wickets on a pitch that offered very little to the bowlers against Australia A. The timing of his five-for couldn’t have been better, with the selection meeting fast approaching.
Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are all expected to feature in what will be a spin-heavy squad for the Test series.
Manav may not be the finished product yet, but he is getting close. If he gets the call, it would be a well-deserved selection. And even if he misses out, expect him to keep grinding and improving—because that’s what he’s all about: constantly getting better.
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