Nikhil Naik Introduction
The inclusion of Nikhil Naik into the squad after his failure in the last IPL season might have irked quite a few Kolkata Knight Riders fans. But those who have been following him closely would know what abilities the player has. He has the nickname of ‘Indian Andre Russell’ for a very valid reason. Naik had to cross many big hurdles to reach the point he is now.
He has always been a very talented cricketer. In the local tennis ball games, he would be the most sought-after player. But hailing from a not very well-to-do family, he had to deal with the limitations. A fish seller’s son, Naik lost his mother when he was still a teenager. Loans and more loans would pay for his cricket coaching. But now that he is a part of Kolkata Knight Riders, all of the hardships have certainly paid off.
Nikhil Naik Batting and Fielding Averages
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-class | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1.50 | 23 | 13.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| List A | 27 | 24 | 3 | 684 | 78 | 32.57 | 715 | 95.66 | 0 | 5 | 47 | 26 | 29 | 5 |
| T20s | 50 | 43 | 13 | 899 | 95* | 29.96 | 701 | 128.24 | 0 | 6 | 59 | 41 | 26 | 7 |
Nikhil Naik Bowling Averages
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-class | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| List A | 27 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| T20s | 50 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Nikhil Naik Early Life
- Naik was born on 9 November 1994, in Sawantvadi, Maharashtra.
- His father’s name is Shankar Naik.
- His father used to sell fish.
- His mother lost her life to paralysis in 2010.
- His father used to borrow money from his friends, to pay for Naik’s cricket gears.
- An ex-player of Kings XI Punjab, Naik is a huge fan of Punjabi songs.
- He was selected for the Maharashtra U15 team when he was just 12 years of age.
- Naik has always been a safe pair of gloves behind the stumps. However, he has struggled with his batting in the initials days of his career.
- Now a big hitter of the ball, Naik could hardly cross the 30-yard circle when he initially started playing deuce ball cricket. He was struggling with his weight. Once Naik got himself in shape, he became a very destructive batsman.
- He has been a captain of both the Maharashtra U16 and the Maharashtra U19 team.
- He was once called up for the trails of Mumbai Indians. He got only 5 balls to play, but two of those were dispatched for maximum. The then Mumbai Indians’ coach, John Wright was impressed by his shots and assured him that the Indians will bid for him in the auctions. But when the time actually came, the paddle wasn’t raised.
Nikhil Naik Domestic Career
- Naik’s T20 debut came against Gujarat at Ahmedabad on March 17, 2013. In his very first match, he scored a half-century.
- His List A debut came about a year later, against the same opposition at Rajkot. Naik scored 36 runs in this match.
- His first-class debut came only last year, against Railways at Delhi. This match didn’t go down well for Naik, as he could only manage to score 3 runs in total.
Nikhil Naik Achievements
- He has won national titles for both Maharashtra U16 and Maharashtra U19 teams, whilst being the skipper.
- He has scored a double century against Kerala in the semi-final of Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy.
- He played a sublime knock of 95 runs from just 58 balls in the semi-final of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
- In the same competition, he has hit five sixes in a single over against Railways in Holkar.
