Shreevats Goswami – a refreshing addition

21st May 2008

A day after his 19th birthday, Shreevats Goswami, the Bengal player who did glove work for India in the recent Under-19 World Cup, was handed his first DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) cap when the Royal Challengers took on the Delhi Daredevils at home.

Goswami, who has been a prolific run-scorer in the Under-19 age group, showed few nerves when he walked out to bat in front of a near full house after Bharat Chipli was dismissed in the fifth over of the Royal Challengers' innings. After four balls which came off the middle of the blade, Goswami sent the fifth delivery he faced crashing through covers - that was a picture perfect shot for the purists. Everything about that shot was right - the bat swing, the footwork, head in the right position, the balance and the timing. The ball sped away through the open space between cover and mid off.

Despite his tender age, Goswami had the intelligence to pick the right bowlers, despite conditions being in favour of the seamers. Pradeep Sangwan, the Delhi paceman, came in for severe punishment at the hands of the Bengal southpaw; the dashing wicketkeeper-batsman hit him for 18 runs off six deliveries, including three boundaries and a smashing pull-six over midwicket.

Goswami Vs. Daredevils' bowlers
Vs.	Runs	Balls	S/R
Sangwan	18	6	300.00
Yo Mahesh	15	15	100.00
Maharoof	2	9	22.22
Bhatia	15	9	166.67
Dilshan	2	3	66.67

His stroke play was such that he graced every region of the green at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The square-leg region was the most productive region for the southpaw; half of the 22 runs he scored on the on side came in the arc between fine leg and square leg, while on the off side, the run down to thirdman saw him score 9 runs.

Goswami's scoring regions
Leg side	Runs	Off side	Runs
Fine Leg	4	Thirdman	9
Square Leg	11	Point	7
Mid Wicket	7	Cover	6
Long On	0	Long Off	2

Last among the recognized batsmen in the Royal Challengers' squad who was yet to get a game, Shreevats Goswami, with his dashing stroke play, dazzling glove work and bundle of energy, was a welcome addition to Vijay Mallya's team today. Why he didn't play a game much earlier, only the team management will know.