A five-wicket haul in a Champions League T20 final would have fetched him a place in the playing eleven in any other team. But Pawan Negi had to wait till the eighth match of the IPL to get a chance and that too only after R. Ashwin got injured.
He did extremely well against KKR in a losing cause both with the bat (27 off 12 balls) and ball (one for 23 in four overs) and also produced cameo knocks in the other two matches. When asked about being in the bench for the first half of the tournament, Negi said, “I was eagerly waiting for my chance and happy with my performances.” For the 22-year old, though, the experience of being the only player with no international experience in the side means a lot and it has given him a huge confidence boost.
With Jadeja not in the best of form with the bat especially, Negi’s big-hitting has put him in a very good position and could tempt the team management to stick with him when Ashwin returns.
In the match against KKR, Negi hit Aussie pacer Pat Cummins for three boundaries in a single over. When asked he said he trains for this especially since he comes in when there is little time to settle in.
And on Wednesday, during an optional practice session, Negi was fine-tuning his big hitting and even sent one ball outside the stadium with his skipper watching from close quarters. Not a bad way to stake a claim to cement his place!
