In the first T20I at Florida, India debutant Navdeep Saini took 3 wickets while giving away just 17 runs to help the Men in Blue restrict West Indies to 95/9. After some initial hiccups, India successfully chased it down with 2.4 overs remaining on the board.
Making his senior debut on the international stage, Saini’s performance was applauded by many with skipper Virat Kohli going on to state that he’s a ‘rarity’. The 26-year-old had performed extremely well in the domestic circuit, forcing the national selectors to take notice of his talent.
Former Indian opener, Gautam Gambhir is one of the many admirers of the pacer and had always backed him over the years. In 2013, he fought for Saini’s inclusion in the Delhi team, but India’s legendary spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi had expressed displeasure on his selection, saying his skills weren’t the greatest.
Thus, after the match, Gambhir didn’t mince his words and took a dig at the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) member, who had doubted the young pacer’s skills. Here’s what he tweeted on his official Twitter handle:
Kudos Navdeep Saini on ur India debut. U already have 2 wkts even before u have bowled— @BishanBedi & @ChetanChauhanCr. Their middle stumps are gone seeing debut of a player whose cricketing obituary they wrote even before he stepped on the field, shame!!! @BCCI pic.twitter.com/skD77GYjk9
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 3, 2019
However, Bedi denied questioning Saini’s skills publicly and his selection in the Delhi team. In an interview to PTI, he said, "The kid is outstanding. But I have only seen him on TV. Also, he has just played one game for India. We should wait for some more time."
Replying to Gambhir’s allegations, he commented, "Who am I? I wasn't in any position of DDCA. I see that he (Gambhir) hasn't sobered even after becoming a Member of Parliament. I don't believe that I have to stoop to conquer. I would rather not react to any comments on Twitter. I have never said a negative thing about Navdeep Saini. Also, I believe if someone has made it, it's his credit, not any Tom, Dick or Harry's,"
In response to the above statement, Gambhir again took to Twitter to accuse Bedi of favouring his son for selection in the Delhi team. Here’s what he wrote:
😂 @BishanBedi talking about “stooping to conquer” 😂,man who was pushing his undeserving son for selection or @ChetanChauhanCr bent on getting his nephew in DDCA team. Shame. Also reproducing Bedi’s comments on Navdeep in a protest letter of 2013. Read onhttps://t.co/hhwMDViipZ
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 4, 2019
Though we ain’t sure who’s speaking the truth, Indian fans must be glad a talent like Saini has been unearthed.
Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/Sajjad Hussain
