M. D. Nidheesh: A Five-Wicket Haul in a Ranji Trophy Quarter-Final
Right-arm outswing specialist, M. D. Nidheesh of Kerala, who was the star performer for his team in the quarter-final match of the Ranji Trophy against Jammu & Kashmir at the MCA Stadium .
Nidheesh, son of a fisherman at Kanjiramattom, inspirational journey to cricket stardom.
Nidheesh’s Five-Wicket Haul
Nidheesh’s tight bowling and smart variations gave Kerala an upper hand on Day 1 of the match. He claimed five important wickets while giving away only 56 runs in his 23 overs with six maidens.
He bowled the Jammu & Kashmir batsmen with sharp and flighted deliveries due to his accuracy and his ability to extract the conditions from the pitch.
Key Dismissals Nidheesh’s
Nidheesh’s spell also included the critical scalps of experienced opener Shubham Khajuria and aggressive Yawer Hassan Khan. Khajuria, who is looking settled on 14 off 19 balls, was caught behind second slip by Sachin Baby.
The bowlers were beginning to fade, but Yawer Hassan Khan was bowled out for 25 off 65 balls with a delivery that jagged sharply.
Jammu & Kashmir’s Struggle
Kanhaiya Wadhawan and Nasir Lone were the top scorers for Jammu & Kashmir as they ended the day at 228/8.
Wadhawan (48) and Lone (44) put up some fight, but timely breakthroughs from Nidheesh kept Kerala on top. Sachin Baby, Kerala’s captain, lauded Nidheesh, saying his was key in the bowling attack after taking 4 wickets in 4 overs for 39 runs.
Nidheesh’s Journey
It wasn’t until 17 when Nidheesh started playing cricket, following his old inspiration, S. Sreesanth and his performance in the 2007 T20 World Cup.
From an impoverished fisher-community, Nidheesh became a strong example of hard work and dedication to succeed. His display in the quarter-final of the Ranji Trophy has only established him as one of Kerala’s most important players.
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