Shivam Mavi had a dream international debut for India, as the pacer returned with a record spell to help the Men in Blue pull off a thrilling 2-run win over Sri Lanka in the final over of the first T20I on Tuesday (January 3) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Mavi impressed one and all with his stunning performance on his debut, registering figures of 4/22 to help Team India restrict Sri Lanka to 160 while chasing 163 in the first T20I. He bowled four overs and returned with a wicket in each over to play a key role in the team’s narrow win.

Mavi’s bowling figures of 4/22 are the third-best by an Indian debutant in T20Is after Barinder Sran (4/10 vs Zimbabwe, Harare 2016) and Pragyan Ojha (4/21 vs Bangladesh, Nottingham 2009).

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The 24-year-old further said that he waited for his chance for six years after winning the Under-19 World Cup for India, and at a time, he felt his dream to represent India at the highest level would remain a dream, but his hard work over the years paid off greatly at the Wankhede Stadium.

Shivam Mavi said after the match: “The landing zone was a little slippery. Was waiting for six years after playing U19. Had to work hard in those six years - got injured as well. For a while it looked like my dream will remain a dream. But I kept at it. Having played the IPL, the nervousness is a little less.”

After the match, the debutant said that Pathum Nissanka’s wicket was his favorite one.

He concluded, “My idea in the powerplay is to attack and get them out. My favorite dismissal was the first one, getting him bowled. Nerves were 3-4 on a scale of ten because you know what to expect when you have played the IPL. The first wicket was my favorite.”

(With AFP Inputs)