U-19 World Cup 2024: Saumy Pandey gathers strength as a rising left-arm spin talent

The list of left-arm orthodox spinners in India currently is long. Besides Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel who are established members of the Indian set-up, Saurabh Kumar, Shams Mulani, Manav Suthar, R Sai Kishore and Anukul Roy are among a slew of consistent performers in the domestic circuit aiming to climb the ladder. The opening game of India’s U-19 World Cup campaign suggests that Saumy Kumar Pandey is another left-arm spinner capable of joining this sturdy stock in due course.

Vice-captain of the team, Pandey, 19, has had a strong beginning to the tournament in South Africa, claiming 4/24 in 9.5 overs as the defending champions eased past Bangladesh by 84 runs at Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Belonging to Sirsi district in Madhya Pradesh, Pandey’s parents are teachers at a government school. While his interest in the game was sparked very early in life, Pandey was a “physically weak” child.

“When he was around six years old, we consulted a doctor who said Saumy will become stronger if he plays a sport or does some physical training. That was the intention when we took him to coach Aril (Anthony) sir in Rewa,” his father Krishna Kumar Pandey recalled.

But it was apparent to the senior Pandey that his son was cricket-crazy right from his childhood. He remembers an instance when his son, just two years old at the time, was adamant about wanting a cricket bat.

“He was inclined towards cricket from his childhood. He was very small when we visited Rewa once. He insisted that we buy him a cricket bat. We went to a shop and the shopkeeper said he’ll be a good cricketer because of the way he was holding the bat. Unhone mazaak mein bol diya (He said it for fun),” said Krishna Kumar.

There was another time when a religious leader’s blessing for Pandey to become a doctor or engineer irked the youngster. “When he was around 4 or 5, we once went to our guru in Haridwar. There was another pandit there who said he will become a doctor or engineer. Saumy naraaz ho gaya aur rone laga ki mujhe toh cricketer banna hai (Saumy got angry and started crying that he wants to become a cricketer),” the 52-year-old father laughed.

In the game against Bangladesh, Pandey’s strengths as a left-arm spinner came to the fore. Like most others performing his craft, he is fairly accurate and always looking to attack the stumps. It yielded the wickets of opener Ashiqur Rahman Shibli and No.3 Chowdhur Md Rizwan, both guilty of playing across the line and getting bowled. That his figures after his first spell read 6-1-8-2 were instrumental in India successfully defending 251/7. He came back later to trap Iqbal Hossain Emon leg before and bowl Maruf Mridha.

Ask his coach Aril Anthony, who has trained Ishwar Pandey, Kuldeep Sen and Pooja Vastrakar, about the young left-arm spinner and he emphasises on the teenager’s intelligence. “He absorbs things very quickly. His mind is very sharp. He thinks about how to get batters out. When he trains, he bowls wide of the crease, comes close to the stumps and does different things to see what works. Uska dimaag aise chalta hai (His mind works like that),” said Anthony.

If there’s another aspect that stands out, his father feels it is Pandey’s self-belief. “Till he played U-16 for Madhya Pradesh, I wanted him to focus on studies. I did not want him to play much. But he was very determined. He took 36 wickets for MP U-16 and topped the wicket-taking charts. That was when I thought he had ability and could do something in cricket,” said his father. “But Saumy was always confident. He would tell his mother that I am worrying needlessly. He always felt things would work out well for him.”

Challenges did arise during Covid when age-group cricket across the country was severely affected. “During Covid, we made a cement wicket for him at our home in the village so that he could train. He used to call a few youngsters from nearby and bowl to them and bat for 4-5 hours. He also started reading English books to work on his speaking skills. If he has to play cricket, it is important that he communicates in English. So, he concentrated on that also,” said Krishna Kumar.

Does the glut of left-arm spinners in India worry his well-wishers about the spinner’s prospects?

“You have to go step by step. You focus on your performance and think from match to match. Whatever is destined to happen will happen. You can't predict who will play for India. If you do well, you will get a chance at a higher level,” said Anthony.