Arzan Nagwaswalla calls Zaheer Khan his 'bowling idol', reveals Bumrah's valuable advice

Gujarat cricketer Arzan Nagwaswalla, who recently received his maiden Team India call-up, revealed that former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan has always been his "inspiration and bowling idol". Arzan, while speaking to the BCCI, said that he has grown up watching Zaheer play and do really well for India. Arzan, who is the first Parsi to be named in the Indian squad after a long break of 45 years, also talked about spending some time with his state teammate Jasprit Bumrah in the Mumbai Indians camp. Arzan praised the modern-day great for giving him some valuable advice during his time as a net bowler for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. 

"My bowling idol and inspiration has always been Zaheer Khan mainly because he has also been a left-arm pacer. I have grown up watching him playing for India and doing really well," Arzan said on bcci.tv. When asked about his state teammate Jasprit Bumrah, the budding cricketer said, "Although we have not played together in domestic cricket because Bumrah has been representing India, whenever we have practiced together (at Mumbai Indians), he has always told me to learn as much as I can from everyone – be it from Zaheer Bhai or Shane Bond or from anyone. From there on, it is up to you to decide what you want to do."

Arzan's domestic career

The BCCI has named Arzan in the squad alongside young cricketers such as Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, and Avesh Khan. Arzan, who plays for Gujarat in Ranji cricket, first rose to fame when he took a five-wicket haul against Mumbai in the 2018-19 season, which was his debut first-class season. Arzan was subsequently forgotten after some inconsistent performances with the ball. However, the left-arm quick made a strong comeback for Gujarat in the 2019-20 season as he picked up 41 wickets in just 8 matches, finishing the tournament as the 12th highest wicket-taker. 

Arzan could not show his class in the subsequent season of Ranji Trophy as the BCCI had to cancel the marquee event for the first time since its inception due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the young bowler got a chance to showcase his skills in the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this year, where he picked up 19 wickets in 7 matches to become the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Arzan has been selected in the Indian squad based on his performance in domestic cricket. 

(Image Credit: PTI)