OTD 1985: When Was Former India Wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel Born?

On March 9, 1985, Parthiv Patel born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The diminutive yet fearless wicketkeeper-batter went on to carve out a unique place in Indian cricket with his aggressive batting and remarkable longevity across formats. Despite his small stature, Parthiv’s confidence and attacking approach made him stand out from a very young age.

He burst onto the international scene in 2002, making his Test debut for India against England at Trent Bridge. At just 17 years and 153 days, he became the youngest wicketkeeper to play Test cricket. While his wicketkeeping skills were still developing at the time and sometimes fluctuated, it was his ability with the bat that helped him remain in contention for a place in the national side during the early years of his career.

Throughout his career, Parthiv experienced several ups and downs with the Indian team. With MS Dhoni firmly established as the first-choice wicketkeeper in limited-overs formats, he often had to fight hard for opportunities. He also faced stiff competition from other keepers such as Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, and Dinesh Karthik. After Dhoni’s retirement from Test cricket, Saha became the preferred option in the longer format, which made Parthiv’s path back into the national side even more challenging.

Determined to revive his career, Parthiv worked on improving both his fitness and wicketkeeping skills. He modified his training routine by dividing his practice sessions into two dedicated parts, one for batting and the other for wicketkeeping.

His domestic performances and success in the Indian Premier League played a significant role in keeping him in the spotlight. During the IPL 2015 season, he had a slow start but found excellent form in the latter half of the tournament. He scored 339 runs and finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer for the Mumbai Indians.

Later that year, Parthiv achieved another milestone by scoring his first List-A century, which helped Gujarat win their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title. His impressive form continued in domestic cricket, as he scored four half-centuries in nine innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and also struck a century for India A in the Deodhar Trophy.

In February 2016, after nearly four years away from international cricket, he was recalled to the Indian squad as a standby for the injured Dhoni, as his strong domestic performances during the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, where he scored three fifties and a century in his first five matches, earned him a call-up to the Indian Test team during the home series against England, with Wriddhiman Saha ruled out due to injury.

Overall, Parthiv played 25 Tests and scored 934 runs, while he scored 736 runs in 38 ODIs. He also played two T20Is for India. In the IPL, he featured in 139 matches and accumulated 2848 runs.

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

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