Hardik Pandya

"Arguably the most important block in India’s jigsaw, his outsized potential has not often matched the deeds in his country’s shirt. But his skills are as priceless as they are rare in Indian cricket. In full bloom, the all-rounder from a humble family in Baroda is an exceptionally clean striker of the cricket ball, versed in seeking conventional and unconventional strokes, is a bowler who could destroy as well as strangle, who could seam the ball away as well as hit the high 130 kmph. There is versatility within versatility. He can take the new ball, can be the middle-over enforcer, and bowl at the death too. He can anchor or finish a chase, accumulate or attack, and is perhaps the second-best fielder in the team after Ravindra Jadeja. He also infuses the team with a swagger that has sometimes landed him in trouble off the field. But when he is injury-free and inspired, he could evolve into an unstoppable force. The leadership duty with IPL franchise Gujarat Titans and the national T20 team has made him more worldly-wise and less reckless. His peak years could be just winking in.

One-day memory: (71 against England at Old Trafford, 2022)

There could be better standalone knocks or bowling efforts. But seldom has both worlds of Pandya combined as sublimely as they did at Old Trafford. First he ran through the middle order, wheedling out the wickets of the dangerous Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone across two spells where he demonstrated his knack of outwitting batsmen. He splendidly mixed his lengths and pace, changed his angles with a clever use of the crease and sustained his intensity throughout the seven overs he bowled. When he came in to bat, his team was tottering at 72 for 4 chasing 259. He first played second-fiddle to Rishabh Pant before expanding the wing-span of his lithe shoulders for a 55-ball 71.

One more thing: He loves to belt out English songs in the dressing room, which Virat Kohli once bantered “is most irritating.”"