Who is Manav Suthar, the latest India debutant known for troubling Virat, Rohit in 2023 World Cup camp

Manav Suthar made his India debut on Saturday after being named in the Playing XI of the Shubman Gill-led side in their one-off Test against Afghanistan at the New PCA Stadium in Chandigarh.

Suthar was among the three spinners named in the Indian side for the Test match. He was handed his maiden Test cap by fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the match. The 23-year-old pipped Vidarbha left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey for a spot in the Playing XI.

Who is Manav Suthar?

Suthar is a 23-year-old left-arm spinner hailing from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. He plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket and is rated highly for his skills of turning the ball at high speeds. He bats left-handed and is decent with the willow as well.

Suthar made his First-Class debut in 2022 in the Ranji Trophy and has been in and around the India A set-up for the last few seasons. He has played 29 First-Class matches so far and has taken 129 wickets at an average of 25.8 with six five-wicket hauls to his name. With the bat, he averages 25.5 and his highest score is 120.

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Dubey, the highest wicket-taker of 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, was seen as being ahead in the pecking order but the Indian team management has preferred Suthar over him.

According to an Indian Express report, Suthar was called up as a net bowler for the 2023 Cricket World Cup where he troubled Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, leaving everyone impressed of his abilities.

He was signed by the Gujarat Titans ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League but could only play a solitary game that season. This year, he played four matches but could only pick up a couple of wickets. Last year for India A, Suthar picked up a five-wicket haul against Australia A to put up his name for the senior team's contention.