Narendra Deepchand Hirwani was born on October 18, 1968 in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. He made his Test debut at Madras in the 4th Test against the West Indies in the 1987-88 series.

His performance in that match was excellent. He took 16 wickets for 136 runs – the best figures by a bowler on a Test debut. He made his One-Day debut against the same team that year.

His performance impressed the selectors so much that he was the unanimous choice in the Indian squad which visited New Zealand. Here, continuing with his performance, he bagged 20 wickets in three Test matches. But his tour to the West Indies in 1989 proved disastrous for him. He could manage only six wickets in the three match Tests series. His failure continued in New Zealand and England.

Meanwhile, the success of Anil Rumble in 1990’s compelled the selectors to drop Hirwani from the team. Hirwani’s performance in the domestic cricket is praiseworthy. He is now in the league of bowlers who have taken over 300 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.