Zeeshan Ansari bowls during India A vs Sri Lanka A match at Galle (Photo Courtesy: Sri Lanka Cricket)
That time away ended when the 26-year-old earned a surprise call-up to the India A squad for the Sri Lanka tour. He gave away 76 runs in 19 overs in the first innings in Galle. He was then hammered for 29 runs in the four overs he bowled in the second essay.
The comeback didn’t get a dream Bollywood-esque start. Zeeshan Ansari plays for Merrut Mavericks in the UPT20 League (Photo Courtesy: UPT20 League)
At the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy in 2014-15, the UP player took 40 wickets, which helped him get into the 2016 U-19 World Cup squad. He picked up 30 wickets in the CK Nayudu Trophy in 2016-17 and was rewarded immediately as he was selected for the Ranji Trophy the following year. In the next four seasons, he played four more games until 2020, before he was left in the wilderness.
Gautam (Gambhir) sir just told me that I am doing well and should keep bowling like this, just as I have been. He made an impressive debut under the captaincy of Suresh Raina. Zeeshan picked up six wickets in the match but was dropped for the next fixture. There is nothing else to think about. Just keep performing. It was a good conversation, and it boosted my confidence,” he recalls. Zeeshan, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), credits the UP T20 League for giving his career a new lease of life.
Then, earlier this year, he got a surprise call-up first as a net bowler for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Chandigarh, followed by his India A selection. A day before the Test match against Afghanistan, Ansari was seen having a long conversation with Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
