Following in idol Harbhajan Singh’s footsteps: Krishnappa Gowtham

Krishnappa Gowtham is the name on every cricket fan’s lips. After a match winning knock of 33 runs against Mumbai Indians, the Karnataka off spinner followed it up with 2 useful wickets against Kings XI Punjab including the prized wicket of Chris Gayle. This performance allowed Rajasthan Royals to win their home game and stay alive in the competition.

Bought at a price tag of 6.5 crores at the IPL auction 2018, Gowtham had turned many heads being an uncapped Indian player. However, he has continued to repay the faith show in him this year. A big fan of Harbhajan Singh, he had modelled his action on his inspiration and was even called “Bhajji” by his teammates.

His performances have led to his selection for India A’s tour to England. We list down some of his achievements in a career which has spanned a couple of years,

• K. Gowtham picked 18 wickets in his first three Ranji Trophy matches in 2016. As a result, he was picked to play for India A in 2017.
• He represented the Board’s President’s XI against the touring Australians. He smashed 74 runs off a mere 68 balls. 64 of his runs came in boundaries, four of them monstrous sixes off Australia’s best bowler of the match, Nathan Lyon.
• He considers Erapalli Prasanna as his mentor. He worked with him to improve his run up and bowling action.
• Gowtham made 33 runs off just 11 balls at Jaipur against the Mumbai Indians to ensure victory for his side with 2 balls to spare.