Sandeep Sankarankutty Warrier is one of the five net bowlers who was added to Team India’s squad for the final two T20I’s against Sri Lanka. This is the first time he enters the main squad of the national side.
Sandeep actually finished his schooling in Mumbai before moving back to Kerala. He dropped out of an engineering college to pursue a career in cricket. So far, he has had amazing performances at the first-class level. While Sandeep is yet to make his IPL debut, he may soon get a chance to play in Kolkata Knight Riders‘ team.
Here, we take a look at 5 interesting facts about Sandeep Warrier:
1) Sandeep was signed by RCB in 2013
Royal Challengers Bangalore had signed Sandeep Warrier back in 2013. This was just two months after he had debuted for Kerala in the Ranji Trophy campaign. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t get to play in a single match.
Sandeep was very much down the pecking order in RCB’s team. Following inactivity, he was released by the franchise after 3 seasons in 2015. Luckily, the 30-year-old was snared by KKR just ten days before the start of the 2019 IPL Season.
2) He was suspended by Kerala Cricket Association for three games in August 2018
Sandeep was involved in an altercation during the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy. The fast-medium bowler along with four others rebelled against Kerala’s Ranji Trophy captain Sachin Baby. As a result, he was handed a suspension of three games.
To add to that, KCA also fined him equivalent to match fees of three BCCI one-day games. Sandeep was asked to pay the fine within a month and was warned about severe action should something similar take place in the future.
3) Sandeep Warrier was the leading wicket-taker for Kerala in the group phase of the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy
Although Sandeep was consistent for a long time in the domestic circuit, his first big break came in the 2018-19 Ranji season. Playing for Kerala, the pacer took a staggering 44 wickets in just ten games. He ended as the leading wicket-taker for his side in the group phase.
On the back of his stellar performance, Kerala reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history. Their fairytale run ended at the hands of eventual champions Vidarbha. It put Sandeep on IPL teams’ radar and he was picked up by KKR in the same year.
4) He took a hat-trick against Andhra in the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Sandeep produced a brilliant display of bowling in Kerala’s match against Andhra. Batting first, Kerala put up 160/6 in 20 overs. Andhra needed just ten runs in the last over with three wickets remaining. Skipper Sachin Baby handed the ball to Sandeep.
He went on to concede a single off the first ball before scalping three wickets in three balls. Sandeep dismissed KV Sasikanth, Karn Sharma, and SK Ismail to hand his side an 8-run victory in a tense finish.
5) Sandeep Warrier tested positive along with Varun Chakravarthy which caused the suspension of IPL 2021
Prior to the start of KKR’s game against RCB in the 2021 IPL, Sandeep Warrier and spinner Varun Chakravarthy tested positive for covid-19. The match was postponed before few more cases in the IPL bio-bubble forced the suspension of the entire tournament.
They were sent into 10-day mandatory isolation immediately. Following recovery, the two were sent back to their hometowns. Sandeep was also in contact with veteran leggie Amit Mishra during the IPL. He also tested positive for the virus.
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