Sourabh Kumar was named in the India’s squad for the second Test match against England as a replacement for injured Ravindra Jadeja.
New Delhi: 2024 started on a bright note for Sourabh Kumar as the Uttar Pradesh all-rounder was named in the Indian national side for the second Test against England which starts on February 2 in Visakhapatnam. Sourabh was named in the side after premier all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the second Test due to a hamstring niggle he suffered on Day 4 of the first Test in Hyderabad. Notably, this is not the first time Sourabh has earned an India call-up. In 2022, he was named in the squad for Bangladesh tour but didn’t get a game. With Jadeja not playing, there is a high chance of Sourabh making his debut for India, depending on the nature of the pitch in Vizag.
But Who Is This Sourabh Kumar?
Born in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh in a middle-class family, Sourabh has similar traits like that of Jadeja. He bats left-handed and also bowls slow left-arm orthodox. He even left his job at the Indian Air Force (IAF) to follow his passion for cricket and dream to represent India at the highest level. A handy bat in the middle order, Sourabh averages over 27. In 68 first-class games for Uttar Pradesh, the left-hander has scored 2061 runs so far since his debut in 2014. With the ball, the 31-year-old has taken 290 wickets.
Sourabh came into limelight when he scored 304 runs and scalped 17 wickets in his debut Ranji Trophy season. He started with Services in the BCCI domestic season in his inaugural year, but shifted base to his state side Uttar Pradesh after he quit his central government job at IAF. Gradually, Sourabh progressed as a bowling all-rounder and emerged as the leading wicket-taker for Uttar Pradesh in the 2017-18 season.
His domestic performances also helped him gain an IPL contract, first with now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant and the Punjab Kings. However, he is yet to play a game in the cash-rich league. He recently caught the eye of BCCI selectors with is 77 runs and six wickets for India A against England Lions in Ahmedabad. His India A teammates Washington Sundar and Sarfaraz Khan too were named in the India squad for the second Test match against England.
India’s Updated Test Squad for 2nd Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.