IPL 2019: Who is Nikhil Naik?

KKR batsman Naik had a rough grind to the top flight of cricket; he lost his mother to paralysis in 2010 and his father, a fish merchant, had a tough time arranging money to pay for his cricket kit.

Nikhil Naik poses with star six-hitter Andre Russell ahead of the clash against Delhi Capitals.

The first look of Nikhil Naik may remind you of Mohammad Shahzad, the bulky wicketkeeper-batsman from Afghanistan. His Kolkata Knight Riders team-mates call him the ‘Indian Russell’. He made his IPL debut in the 2019 edition.

Before getting picked for KKR at his base price of Rs 20 lakh, Naik has been part of Kings XI Punjab. He only appeared in a couple of games in 2016, scoring 27 runs in two innings.

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On his only appearance for KKR last season, he scored seven off 16 deliveries while opening the batting against Delhi Capitals.

A right-handed top order batsman, Naik is known for his explosive hitting abilities. He hit the headlines after smashing an unbeaten 95 off 58 balls to take Maharashtra to the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy final earlier this month.

Naik made his List-A debut for Maharashtra, against Gujarat, in the 2014 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored 234 runs in four matches at 58.50. He made his Ranji Trophy debut in the 2018-19 season against Railways.

Naik had a rough grind to the top flight of cricket. He lost his mother to paralysis in 2010 and his father, a fish merchant, had a tough time arranging money to pay for his cricket kit.