He is unknown, did you ever hear of him until yesterday. Gowtham’s world has come the full circle in the last two days. This is like ‘Alice In Wonderland’ stuff! In an India A v Australia warm-up game, he scored a valiant 74 when the team was reeling against a formidable Australian unit. With his backs to the wall and a set Shreyas Iyer to give him company, the Bengalurean stepped it up and staged a counter-attack against the mighty Australians, taking the sting out of them.
The match may have ended in an inevitable draw, but that inning has curated his career in a way he must have only dreamt of. The 28-year-old Bengalurean timed his knock so perfectly that in under 24 hours he has been brought by the Mumbai Indians for Rs 2 cr. The amount is a lot considering his lack of exposure and experience.
He will be doing dual duties for the Mumbai franchisee. He can bowl gentle off breaks and is a handy bat lower down the order. The feeling is that Mumbai was on the lookout for an Indian allrounder and he fits the bill perfectly; also he enjoys bounce and the ball hitting the bat hard—the Wankhede or the CCI wicket will allow just that.
He made his first-class debut five years back against Delhi but did not get selected often enough to really push his case. However, this knock against Australia has made him the talking point at the auctions.
Is he a one-off wonder or can he sustain the good work?
