Lukman Meriwala

Hailing from the small city of Vadodara, Meriwala started playing club cricket in 2003 but couldn’t find a way up to the domestic level. 

Started working as a welder in 2007, he was backed up by his family and his persistence earned him a spot in the U-19 squad of Baroda. From there it was no turning back for the youngster who kept moving up the ranks.

Meriwala made his List A debut playing for Baroda against Mumbai on February 14, 2013 in which he scalped two wickets in which Mumbai won by 17 runs. He made his T20 debut in the 2013-14 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy which turned out to be a memorable one for the youngster. Meriwala was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 21 wickets under his belt.

The knack of taking wickets at a crucial time in the shortest format of the game turned him into a lethal bowler. 

Meriwala wreaked havoc with career-best figures of 5 for 21 as Baroda beat Karnataka by 14 runs in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (2020-21) encounter. He ended up as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 15 wickets and once again proved his worth in the 20 overs format.

His glimpses in the Syed Ali Mushtaq Trophy fetched him an IPL contract in 2021 from Delhi Capitals and made him an overnight sensation. The likes of Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav will certainly revamp the youngster during the 2021 IPL season.

(As of March 2021)