Former India spinner Murali Kartik was touched after head coach Gautam Gambhir invited him to present Mayank Yadav with his maiden India cap ahead of the T20I series opener against Bangladesh at Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior. Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy bith made their T2OI debut on Sunday against Bangladesh. Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, who was also part of the cap ceremony, presented fellow debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy with his India cap.
Kartik, visibly touched by the gesture, recalled his own India debut when he received his first cap from cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev 25 years ago.
"What a memorable day for this Speed Merchant Mayank Yadav... it took me back 25 yrs when I received my cap from Sachin & Kapil Paaji... A touching moment for me personally to be asked to present the cap by GautamGambhir, a wonderful gesture," Kartik posted on X.
Kartik made his international Test debut back in 2000 against South Africa at Wankhede. He played eight Tests, 37 ODIs and a T2OI, claiming 61 wickets across the formats.
The former left-arm spinner offered words of encouragement to the young pacer Mayank, a 22-year-old fast bowler known for his ability to clock deliveries at 150 kph. He was making waves after just four matches in the 2024 IPL season. Mayank's selection into the national team was fast-tracked following a strong recovery from a back injury.
Mayank did not disappoint on his debut. His first over in international cricket was a maiden, and he followed it up by picking his first wicket in his second over, finishing with an impressive 1 for 21 in his spell.
Nitish Kumar Reddy also contributed with an unbeaten 16, displaying composure in his debut outing.
India dominated the first T20I, led by Hardik Pandya's all-round brilliance. Chasing a target of 128, India cruised to a seven-wicket victory, reaching the target in just 11.5 overs.
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