India Vs West Indies: Navdeep Saini reveals he 'couldn't believe when he got India cap'

An impressive India debut under his belt, fast bowler Navdeep Saini said he could not believe himself when he was handed the India cap to play in the first T20 International against the West Indies in Lauderhill, Florida.

Navdeep Saini's dream debut

26-year-old Saini starred in India's 4-wicket win by taking three wickets for 17 runs on Saturday. He was adjudged man-of-the-match for his impressive bowling display which saw India restrict West Indies to 95 for 9. India made heavy weather of the modest run chase before pulling off a 4-wicket win with 2.4 over to spare.     

"When I received the India cap (on Saturday morning), I could not believe that today is the day which I was waiting for," Saini told his senior pace colleague Bhuvneshwar Kumar in an interview posted on BCCI Twitter handle.

Asked about the tatoo on his left hand which depicted a wolf, Saini said, "During my childhood, I and my big brother used to watch a lot of movies on wolves. That is why I have this tattoo."

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Skipper Virat Kohli all praises for Saini

"Navdeep is from Delhi and he has come a long way. He plays the IPL as well and had a great season," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony. Calling Saini, 'raw talent', Kohli added that he one of them who can bowl 150 clicks and there are hardly any who bowl at that pace and he is fit

"He is a raw talent, has raw pace. He is someone who can build a name for himself and he is hungry as well. Hopefully, he builds on from here," Virat Kohli added.

Pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar happy with Saini's consistency

Pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar too joined in the chorus singing praises for Saini and said that the young bowlers have performed well at various stages. He further added that the performances of the youngsters allow him to give them unconditional support and ensure comfort for them in the team.    

"He (Saini) bowled really well as everyone has seen. The most important thing is that he proved himself at different stages whether it is domestic cricket, IPL (Indian Premier League) or India A," Kumar said during the post-match press conference.

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(With inputs from PTI)