MATCH STORIES
Follow UsIn a match where someone of the calibre of Sandeep Lamichhane was drafted into the XI for the first time this tournament, it was the leg spin of Kushal Bhurtel that was the major talking point in the clash. In the past, Bhurtel has shown that he is no mug with the ball, picking up wickets on many occasions when he has been tossed the ball, especially on helpful surfaces at the TU Stadium back home. But to register a four-wicket haul against a side like South Africa at the T20 World Cup surely has to be one of the finest moments of his career.
With the way he bowled, one might forget that Bhurtel is a part-time bowler. His primary role is that of an opening batter for the team. However, with plenty of spin on offer in St Vincent, Bhurtel certainly felt at home. However, his control might make many think otherwise.
Regardless of how the pitch behaves, you still have to hit the right lengths to trouble the batters. That’s exactly what he did as his loopy leg-spinners hit the right spots and, more often than not, had the batters in trouble. His average speed was a tad under 80 KMPH, and plenty of revolutions, which was ideal, as he managed to generate enough grip and turn.
Bowling is not something that he picked up overnight. It has been in the works for some time now.
“From last two years, I have practiced regularly in the nets. I executed it well that day. Most credit goes to Rohit Paudel. He believed and trusted me. I executed it well. Really happy about it,” the 27-year-old had told Cricket.com ahead of the World Cup.
All that came in handy against South Africa, as he got the better of Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen—two of the best spin players in the world. To put things into perspective as to how good Bhurtel has been with the ball, he now has as many wickets as Lamichhane since head coach Monty Desai took over in February last year, having bowled nearly 14 overs lesser than the star spinner.
While Bhurtel failed to show up with the bat against South Africa, he has been a crucial figure under Desai, more often than not providing his team with brisk starts regardless of the format. That often comes with risks, as his average of 18.85 and a strike rate of 127.53 depicts, but his role in the team is clear – if it is there to be hit, go for it.
“My plan is if there is a ball to hit, I'll go for it. I always love to play attacking cricket, and my team is backing me,” he said when asked about his game plan.
Nepal cricket would have certainly been poorer had Bhurtel chosen football as a profession. Bhurtel, who played as a goalkeeper, started taking cricket seriously to bring his father’s dream to fruition.
“I used to play football. My dad is abroad, he is more passionate about cricket. His dream was for his son to play cricket. In 2012 I represented the country at Under-16, and in 2016, I played in the Under-19 World Cup and then the senior team,” he said.
Over a decade after he made that decision, he is now representing Nepal in a senior World Cup and is delivering at the highest level, too. If anything, this bowling performance from Bhurtel has shown that he has taken giant strides toward being referred to as an ‘all-rounder.’
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