After clocking 147 kmph, new U-19 pace sensation from Tamil Nadu targets ‘accuracy’

[rkt.india]

https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/after-clocking-147-kmph-new-u-19-pace-sensation-from-tamil-nadu-targets-accuracy-10057477/

 

 

“I don’t want to be just about pace.” For someone who recently made waves with a blistering pace of 147.3 kmph, 17-year-old fast bowler R D Pranav Ragavendra has a steady head on his shoulders.

 

The Chennai teenager, who is expected to star in India’s U-19 tour of England this month-end, recently clocked 147.3 kmph, the fastest by any India U-19 cricketer at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, where he has been training.

 

The 150-kmph mark in fast bowling is considered a hallowed landmark, where Indians usually don’t tread. Of late, there have been a couple of young Indian pacers — 25-year-old Umran Malik and 22-year-old Mayank Yadav — who have had the ball blur across at such rapid speeds, but Pranav is the youngest of the lot to approach that stratosphere. Those who work with him say he has the potential to breach the 150 kmph soon, and it won’t be a surprise if he does that on India U-19 tour of England, where the team is set to play two Tests and five ODIs starting June 27.

 

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Yet, as Ragavendra says, he doesn’t want to “just about pace”.

 

 

“I love speed and I want to bowl fast. It always feels great when you scare batsmen with bouncers and hit their gloves with the hard length. To continue doing it, I have to work on a lot of aspects, including accuracy, which is why I don’t keep an eye on the speed gun,” he tells The Indian Express.

 

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For now, he says, he is working on “building his base”.

 

“To bowl fast, I need to ensure fitness remains my top priority and for that, I need to take care of myself by doing the right things. Be it skillset training or fitness drills or recovery… everything is non-negotiable if I have to be part of next year’s U-19 World Cup and beyond,” he says.

 

With a long, steady run-up, Pranav has a smooth, open-chested action with the in-dipper being his stock delivery.

 

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But fast bowling was not Pranav’s first love. As a child, he wanted to be a sprinter, who, even before his teens, was clocking 13.76 m in a 100-m race.

 

“Cricket came into his life on the recommendation of a doctor. After Pranav had a sibling, he seemed distracted. From being the centre of everyone’s attention, he saw the focus shifting to his younger brother. He was in a lonely territory and when we consulted a doctor, he advised us to put him in a team game so that he has company at all times. That’s how the switch from sprint to cricket happened,” says Pranav’s father E Rajendran.

 

And once he picked up the red cherry, Pranav wanted to spear it as fast as he could. Last year, when he was 16, with pace legend Glenn McGrath overseeing the camp at the MRF Pace Foundation, Pranav touched 139 kmph and word began to spread about this exciting fast-bowling prospect.

 

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Last Ranji season, Pranav was named in the Tamil Nadu squad and played two matches. And then, last week, he was included in India’s Under-19 squad for the upcoming tour of England.

 

“Pace has always been his strength. When I first saw him, he was bowling in the early 130 (kmph), but now, in a span of just two years, he has been consistently bowling between 135-145 kmph. Speed comes naturally to him and right now, it is all about gaining control. He is still in a developmental stage, so he may even add a few extra yards of pace. But for a boy of his age, he is already very quick. We have to nurture him and protect him. Speed shouldn’t become an obsession because what matters is control. The good thing is, even he understands it,” says M Senthilnathan, the head coach of MRF Pace Foundation.

 

For Tamil Nadu, a state that has been struggling in recent times with its pace attack, Pranav’s arrival has got many excited. Alongside Pranav, there is D Deepesh, who also clocks in excess of 140, and is part of the reserves.

 

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Overseeing the fitness of this pace duo is Ramji Srinivasan, who was previously part of the Indian team for nearly a decade.

 

“Pranav is definitely a talent for the future, but the most important thing is that he has to be protected and nurtured so that he maximises his potential… We saw what Australia did with Pat Cummins. Similarly, we have put in place a long-term athlete development programme so that he peaks at the right time,” Ramji says.

 

Ramji’s emphasis on fitness isn’t without reason. In recent times, the likes of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who came through the U19 ranks, and Umran Malik and Mayank Yadav — all express-quick bowlers — have all struggled with long-term injuries.

 

It’s a trap Ramji wants Pranav to avoid. “If you are bowling that quick, he needs to have a strong foundation. He is at his growth stage, so the core has to be built – including the base which will empower him. The mechanics of it have to be developed according to his need. A comprehensive diet plan and recovery plan will help him grow. We need to show patience for him to develop into an adult. Young athletes are not finished products,” says Ramji. “We shouldn’t repeat the same mistakes like we have done with others.”

 

 

[LordPrabhzy]

The next Mayank yadav

[express bowling]

What's his height  ?

 

Has already played 2 FC games.

[Suhaan]

I did it by mistake,want to emulate Boobie bhaiya and bowl at perfect 6th stumps line and length 

[Suhaan]

We have lost most number of 150+kph bowlers in last 3-4 years than any nation in the world

Not like we don't produce ,infact do it more than anyone else but loose all of them due to injuries or first injury,they never comeback or if they ,they aren't even shadow of their former self

Very very disappointed, with attitude and handling of these newcomers

Edited June 10, 2025 by Suhaan

[goose]

another 100 page thread begins. what's his height. i'd rather have 6ft 4 bowling at 140

[rkt.india]

2 hours ago, goose said:

another 100 page thread begins. what's his height. i'd rather have 6ft 4 bowling at 140

We have several 6'4 or above but only one of them can hit 140 currently, Gurnoor Singh Brar. Divyanshu Singh is the second fastest from Mumbai, 6 feet 6, 135 kph.

[Vilander]

5' 9 , 175 pounds. Bowled one away delivery at 147k. Whole country makes him a sensation waiting bated breath in ipl, and icf pace jozz thread has a collective ejaculation. But....but ...pace sensations begins bowling at biomechanical resonance speed of 132kph afterwards. 

 

Oh sorry .. is this not the prior 50 indian pace sensations. 

[vvvslaxman]

56 minutes ago, Vilander said:

5' 9 , 175 pounds. Bowled one away delivery at 147k. Whole country makes him a sensation waiting bated breath in ipl, and icf pace jozz thread has a collective ejaculation. But....but ...pace sensations begins bowling at biomechanical resonance speed of 132kph afterwards. 

 

Oh sorry .. is this not the prior 50 indian pace sensations. 

 

Unadkat was considered as a aufutre pace sensation when he clocked 139 kph in the under-19 world cup. Thinking was he would gain more muscle and become a pace demon lol.  Australia and NZ always had higher clock speeds due to the method they use.  Even Mavi, Nagarkoti were effortlessly clocking 146k. 

[tapandrun]

there was 1 another guy playing in same U19 asia cup Vaibhav was playing

[rkt.india]

3 hours ago, tapandrun said:

there was 1 another guy playing in same U19 asia cup Vaibhav was playing

Samarth Nagraj...he is over 19 now.

[rkt.india]

8 hours ago, Vilander said:

5' 9 , 175 pounds. Bowled one away delivery at 147k. Whole country makes him a sensation waiting bated breath in ipl, and icf pace jozz thread has a collective ejaculation. But....but ...pace sensations begins bowling at biomechanical resonance speed of 132kph afterwards. 

 

Oh sorry .. is this not the prior 50 indian pace sensations. 

A 17 year old bowling 145+ is a big thing everywhere, not just india.

[Stan AF]

Guys please don't do this again. 

[Nikhil_cric]

On 6/10/2025 at 7:39 PM, rkt.india said:

We have several 6'4 or above but only one of them can hit 140 currently, Gurnoor Singh Brar. Divyanshu Singh is the second fastest from Mumbai, 6 feet 6, 135 kph.

Gurnoor is going to be the biggest wasted talent from India. We rarely produce guys with genuine pace and standing that tall. 

[vvvslaxman]

3 hours ago, Nikhil_cric said:

Gurnoor is going to be the biggest wasted talent from India. We rarely produce guys with genuine pace and standing that tall. 

They will always be determined by output. He created a chance very first ball of his IPL debut against KL Rahul. Atharv put down a sitter. Then bowled a couple of expensive overs. That's it. He is gone for good.

[Nikhil_cric]

20 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

They will always be determined by output. He created a chance very first ball of his IPL debut against KL Rahul. Atharv put down a sitter. Then bowled a couple of expensive overs. That's it. He is gone for good.

T20 , and that too on IPL pitches, should not be the measure of a fast bowler's potential. 

[vvvslaxman]

55 minutes ago, Nikhil_cric said:

T20 , and that too on IPL pitches, should not be the measure of a fast bowler's potential. 

Has he done well in domestic?  While i am excited about all 150k bowlers, without setting stage on fire at some level it is very hard to get noticed.

[Nikhil_cric]

49 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

Has he done well in domestic?  While i am excited about all 150k bowlers, without setting stage on fire at some level it is very hard to get noticed.

I was talking only about potential.  Bowlers with higher ceilings should always be invested in 

[vvvslaxman]

15 minutes ago, Nikhil_cric said:

I was talking only about potential.  Bowlers with higher ceilings should always be invested in 

 

But has to start at lower level. There is a mass incentive for express bowlers in the IPL as we saw with Umran Malik who went for 8 crores next season. Then Mayank became a sensation overnight. Both Mayank and Umran became popular because they had atleast one high impact innings. Umrah picking fifer against GT and Mayank being too pacy against RCB. Even Kuldeep sen had his share of attention when he took out some big guns of RCB. All of them were picked for Indian squad.  First of all these bowlers became popular for being pacy. Moment they lose it their stock goes down rapidly

[tapandrun]

3 hours ago, vvvslaxman said:

 

But has to start at lower level. There is a mass incentive for express bowlers in the IPL as we saw with Umran Malik who went for 8 crores next season. Then Mayank became a sensation overnight. Both Mayank and Umran became popular because they had atleast one high impact innings. Umrah picking fifer against GT and Mayank being too pacy against RCB. Even Kuldeep sen had his share of attention when he took out some big guns of RCB. All of them were picked for Indian squad.  First of all these bowlers became popular for being pacy. Moment they lose it their stock goes down rapidly

 

IPl team investing is a player is directly related to their chances of getting picked in the Ind intnl side.

 

Not sure how being 150 kmph bowler is an incentive for being picked in the IPL team, Umran had 1 good season and then not so go season hardly got any games.

All 145 kmph Ind bowler have to fight the stigma that they will leak runs 1-2 bad games they are the 1st ones to be dropped- Simarjeet played only 1st fw games, Sen did nt get a game, Gurnoor was on bench, Ashok was on bench. There was a guy Avinash who was supposed to be fast got injured and after that no one is interested in him.

 

Where else trundlers bowling sub 135 kmph are getting to play just on the premise that they have t20 bowling skills they get game after game even even they are equally expensive as other 145+ kmph bowlers.

 

145+ kmph bowler makes some waves amongst the fans but team and tm would rather prefer trundler posing as t20 specialist. 

 

Why MI or csk has never invested in any 145+kmph bowler ...??

 

All the attention and hype is around the fans teams prefer bowlers with t20 skills, when they had to pick replacements who did they go for Thakur and Sakaria.

 

Ind team itself is inclined toward 140ish kmph bowlers who can bowl 1-2 yorkers this is where Mukesh and Avesh fits in. If Ind team is inclined towards such bowlers do not think IPL will invest in 145+kmph bowlers, if their players can not fit into Ind teams plans there is not point in investing as there in no roi.