Praveen Kumar Turns 40: Remembering India’s Swing King
Former India seamer Praveen Kumar turned 40 on Friday, October 2, one of the finest exponents of swing bowling the country has produced.
Born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, in 1986, the right-arm medium pacer represented India across formats between 2007 and 2012. He played 68 ODIs, taking 77 wickets with a best of 4 for 31, along with six Tests and ten T20 internationals.
Known affectionately as the Swing King, Praveen could move the ball both ways and troubled batsmen with nagging line and length. He was a key member of India’s 2007-08 Commonwealth Bank Series triumph in Australia and the 2010 Asia Cup-winning squad.
He rose to prominence in domestic cricket with Uttar Pradesh, taking 41 wickets and scoring 386 runs in the 2005-06 Ranji Trophy season. He made his ODI debut against Pakistan in November 2007.
In the IPL, he turned out for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Lions, taking 90 wickets in 119 matches.
Praveen’s career was marked by precision and control with the new ball, making him one of India’s most dependable swing bowlers of his era.
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