Shubham Gautam is a livewire on the ground and even in his first two matches in the fourth season of the UPT20 League he has announced himself for Noida Kings, emerging as one of the most exciting young fast-bowling prospects in Uttar Pradesh cricket.
The combination of these influences — Archer’s raw speed and Bhuvneshwar’s control — forms Gautam’s stated ambition. “I don’t match Archer’s height, but I like to bowl like him. Speed thrills me and it gives me different excitement when I see a batter struggling against my pace,” said Gautam, who grew up playing cricket in his village Dibi, around 50 km from Bulandshahr, with a tennis ball.
“I try to bowl with the speed of Jofra and swing like Bhuvneshwar as these two are the best role models for a pace bowler like me,” said Gautam on Tuesday as one his deliveries against Lucknow Falcons on Monday night was clocked at over 143kph.
In his very second match, he took an eye-catching 3/22 against Lucknow Falcons at 5.50, showing his ability to strike at crucial junctures and extract movement and bounce even in conditions that don’t always favour express pace. In his first match against Kanpur Superstars, he finished with an economical 0/17, proving he can maintain pressure even when wickets don’t come. That exposure translated into a significant vote of confidence at the auction, where Noida Kings purchased him for ₹ 21.5 lakh. It is learnt that despite his repeated efforts to make it to the UP teams, especially under-19 sides, Gautam couldn’t go beyond the camps, but this time he doesn’t want to miss an opportunity. He hopes his bowling will surely impress selectors for the Under-23 side, which would also be playing the T20 matches this season for the first time.
Gautam’s ambition is backed by performance. Those early outings underline a maturity in game management uncommon for someone so new to the higher levels of domestic competition. “For me, fitness comes first as I know pace bowler face injuries quite easily. I am working hard on my fitness. “My mission is to make it to the UP sides in the upcoming domestic season as I am sure that a good show at the UPT20 League will help me realise my dream.
I also pay equal attention to my swing bowling,” said Gautam, a discovery of UP Cricket Association’s recent speed-bowling hunt in Noida, where he was one of the standout performers. “I didn’t expect this much at the auction, but I am happy,” he said.
