When Prasidh Krishna was named in India's ODI squad for their home series against England, the tall pacer from Karnataka was ecstatic.
Donning the blue jersey was certainly a dream-come-true for him.
In his maiden outing, things didn't go as planned early on. Jonny Bairstow carted the pacer around the park and having conceded 37 runs in his first three overs, the dream debut was quickly turning into a nightmare.
However, he maintained his calm and made a record-breaking comeback with a spell of 4/54.
By securing the best bowling figures by an Indian debutant in ODIs, Prasidh Krishna announced his arrival as India's next pace sensation.
In the upcoming Indian Premier League, Krishna is set to reprise a similar role in Kolkata Knight Riders' pace attack.
Before we see him in action during KKR's first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 11, let's take a look at his journey so far.
A sporting family and an early love for speed
As a self-confessed fan of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, Krishna took a liking for speed early on.
This led to him seeking inspiration from the Italian great's moves and mannerisms while cycling on a dead-end road near his Bangalore home.
By the time he turned 14, he became quite proficient in cricket and volleyball thanks to his height.
Genetics can also be considered as a factor in his success as his father Murali was a former fast bowler in collegiate cricket and his mother Kalavathi played volleyball in the state circuit.
But after seeing his growing pace and height, Krishna's coach Srinivas Murthy asked him to pursue cricket.
This decision proved to be fruitful as the teenager easily transitioned to age-group cricket.
In just a matter of few more years, Krishan shot to the limelight during his first-class debut for Karnataka in 2015.
Here, he registered impressive figures of 5/49 against Bangladesh-A. In the absence of the team's lead pacers, he reduced the opposition to 41/5 and helped Karnataka beat the international side by 4 wickets.
In the following years, he made his List-A and domestic T20 debuts as well.
In 2017, he joined the MRF Pace Foundation and worked to sharpen his skills and improve his fitness.
That year, he also trained under Jeff Thompson in Australia, which helped him add to his pace.
All this exceptional guidance and excellent form during that season's Vijay Hazare Trophy eventually led to the big stage - The Indian Premier League.
Acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for the injured Kamlesh Nagarkoti in IPL 2018, Krishna had an impressive run during his maiden season.
Here, he picked 10 wickets in 7 games and surprised everyone with his pace and bounce on Indian pitches.
The following season, however, was slightly underwhelming for the pacer, but consistent speeds of 140-plus kph kept him in the reckoning.
In IPL 2020, Krishna turned in a decent performance by picking up 4 wickets in 6 matches, including his game-changing 3/29 against Kings XI Punjab.
Ready to go the distance with KKR
Krishna started 2021 with a bang in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
As one of the most successful bowlers in the tournament, he picked up a total of 14 wickets and showed finesse with a 4/17 against Bihar.
Owing to this excellent display, he secured a spot in Team India's ODI squad and had a spectacular debut series against the touring England squad.
This six-wicket haul during the series was appreciated by cricketing greats from all around the world. From the 'Rawalpindi Express' Shoaib Akhtar calling him a 'Karishma' (miracle), to the Australian legend Glenn McGrath heaping praise, Krishna garnered accolades from all quarters.
Brimming with confidence after his recent achievements, this pace sensation from Karnataka is now ready to take on the IPL 2021 challenge and further cement his spot in Team India.
