The legendary Pakistani off spinner Saeed Ajmal has predicted that the Mumbai Indians off spinner Hrithik Shokeen is going to be the new star of Indian cricket. Ajmal quoted one of the tweets that Hrithik had posted after his Mumbai Indians debut and called him “such a talented boy”.
Hrithik Shokeen has played two games for Mumbai Indians so far and although he has not got a wicket in either of the two games, he has impressed a lot of people with his craft.
Hrithik, in his debut game against CSK where he was bowling to some very good players of spin, gave away just 23 runs in his 4 overs and was unlucky not to get a wicket, as a decision regarding a low catch went against him, when many people thought it was a marginal call and could have gone in the favor of the bowler as well.
Hrithik Shokeen was very, very economical against LSG as well
Hrithik was then given another opportunity by Mumbai in the next game against Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) and in that game, he bowled two overs in the powerplay itself, against the likes of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, but the youngster still conceded just 11 runs in his 2 overs.
You are such a Talented boy @Hrithik14S Keep Working Hard all of my best Wishes are with you✨
Upcoming star of India 🇮🇳 #hrithik #IPL https://t.co/6qronJPrmJ— Saeed Ajmal (@REALsaeedajmal) April 28, 2022
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What’s impressive about Hrithik Shokeen is that he doesn’t seem to be a one dimensional off spinner. He can be quick through the air and bowl flat, which is often needed in T20 cricket, but he can also be slow through the air and show a bit of guile.
The kind of off-spinner, who can be both attacking and defensive, is certainly someone that the Indian selectors will keep a keen eye on, because India hasn’t found a world-class off-spinner after Ravichandran Ashwin.
To be praised by someone like Saeed Ajmal is certainly a big praise for Hrithik at such a young age because Ajmal, during his heyday, was a legendary off-spin bowler and made an impact in all conditions and all formats. He certainly knows a thing or two about off-spin bowling.
