Last year’s runners-up Gujarat Giants have roped in Sandeep Warrier as a replacement for the injured Mohammed Shami who is currently undergoing a rehabilitation process after his knee surgery. Most of us must be unaware of Sandeep Warrier and his bowling credentials but he is an international Indian cricketer who plays for Kerala in domestic cricket and has represented India in a T20 international against Sri Lanka in 2021.
Domestic Performance
Born in a Kerala family on 4th April 1991, Sandeep Warrier is an engineering dropout who plays for Kerala in domestic cricket. He had featured in 57 first-class matches for Kerala in which he scalped 186 wickets at an impressive average of 24.43. In List A matches he has 66 wickets to his name in 55 matches and an average of 32.37. In domestic T20 matches, he has picked 46 wickets in 47 matches at an average of 26.30.
If we further talk about the highlights of his domestic career, he has been the highest wicket-taker for Kerala in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, picking up 12 wickets in just 6 matches. That year he also excelled in the Ranji Trophy by picking up 44 matches in the 10 matches he played. He also has a hat-trick to his name in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Andhra Pradesh.
In the 2018–19 season, Warrier was instrumental in helping Kerala reach the Ranji Trophy semi-final for the first time, taking 39 wickets at an incredible average of 18.33. More so, when he picked up a 5-wicket haul against Bengal in a game, the then Kerala coach compared him to the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel given his bowling prowess. Warrier was known mainly for his swing bowling but in the last few years, he also added to his repertoire and now can bowl in the late 130s.
IPL career
Despite being added to the IPL squad of many teams including RCB, KKR, MI, and now Gujarat Titans, Sandeep Warrier has featured in only 5 IPL games in which he has picked up only 5 wickets. However, he would be hoping that this time he gets more game time in the IPL so that he can showcase his skill at the bigger stage.