Praveen Kumar is a talented cricketer from India who embodies the conventional Indian medium pacer. Kumar, who was known for his ability to swing the ball both ways as well as line and pace, was a long-time member of the Indian cricket team.
Kumar was born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on October 2, 1986. He currently plays first-class cricket for Uttar Pradesh.
At M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Kumar became the seventh bowler in Indian Premier League history to take a hat-trick against Rajasthan Royals.
Background
Kumar, who was born into a poor family, had to tackle several hurdles on his path to become one of India’s most prolific swing bowlers. He rose to prominence after playing for India Red in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy in 2007.
Debut
Kumar made his ODI debut for India against arch-rival Pakistan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur in November 2007. He didn’t have the best debut, as he went on to concede 50 runs in his first ten overs.
Kumar’s career had many ups and downs, but the time from 2008 to 2010 was his finest, as he established himself as India’s prime opening bowler in one-day internationals.
His ODI performances won him a test call-up for India’s upcoming tours to England and the West Indies. Praveen finished the six test matches with 27 wickets.
Rise to Glory
Praveen rose to fame and immediate stardom after taking 10 wickets in just four matches during the CB Trophy in Australia, including two four-wicket hauls that helped India win the tri-nation tournament.
Batsmen were baffled by his ability to swing the new ball and his misleading speed. His outstanding success earned him a $300,000 deal with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
Club Career
Praveen had a fine season with the Royal Challengers in the 2010 IPL season, and he even scored a hat-trick against the Rajasthan Royals, being just the seventh player in the league’s history to do so. Kumar was purchased by Kings XI Punjab for $800,000 at the 2011 auctions.
He went unsold in the 2014 IPL auctions due to a lack of interest. However, he was purchased by the Mumbai Indians as a backup for the injured Zaheer Khan.
Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased him for Rs. 2.2 crore at the IPL 2015 auctions. Gujarat Lions, led by Suresh Raina, chose Praveen Kumar for their inaugural IPL season in 2016.