After re-signing the legend that is Paras Dogra, VVV Cricket Club is excited to announce the huge signing of fellow Indian superstar, Ankit Bawne.
National honours beckon
Bawne is an accomplished batter on the national radar courtesy of his recent leadership roles with India A, India Red, and Maharashtra.
The run machine, who made his first-class debut as a 15-year-old, in 2007, played his first India A game in 2017 and has more recently skippered the side.
Bawne has been a key performer for the A side since his debut, hitting notable scores of 162* and 83* (v New Zealand A), 116* (v West Indies), 91* (v Australia A), and 80 (v South Africa A).
Run machine with a record to match
At domestic level, Bawne has lorded both the Ranji Trophy (first-class) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (List A) for over a decade. His numbers are quite extraordinary – 6,675 runs at 51.34 with 19 centuries (including 2 doubles) in first-class cricket alongside 2,621 runs at 40.32 with 7 further centuries in List A cricket.
He can boast a raft of accolades, to include being part of the second-highest stand for any wicket in first-class cricket – when sharing a 594-run partnership with Swapnil Gugale during the 2016/17 Ranji season. Bawne ended with his career-best 258 not out in the process.
Bawne can also boast a second double century – 204* against Orissa (February 2020), a Duldeep Trophy century for India Blue (121* v India Red), and has averaged 50 plus in 7 Ranji Trophy seasons, namely 257 runs at 51.40 (2010/11), 531 runs at 75.85 (2011/12), 603 runs at 60.30 (2012/13), 846 runs at 76.90 (2013/14), 712 runs at 54.76 (2016/17), 575 runs at 52.27 (2017/18), 785 runs at 60.38 (2019/20), plus 3 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, 293 runs at 58.60 (2011/12), 325 runs at 162.50 (2014/15), and 460 runs at 51.11 (2017/18).
Bawne has been the linchpin of Maharashtra’s batting line-up for more than a decade. He has developed from being a brash teenager who captained the junior India team until an age-related controversy forced him out of contention for the Under-19 World Cup, to an intelligent, highly-driven leader of men, with the record to match.
Bawne joins Dogra at VVV
The India A skipper seems to be treading the right path towards full national honours and, in a view to continuing his development is set to embark on a European return in 2020. The run machine is set to join fellow Ranji Trophy legend, Paras Dogra, with VVV in Holland this summer.
