Lakshmipathy Balaji

Lakshmipathy Balaji is a former Indian cricketer who played for the Indian national cricket team from 2003 to 2009. He was born on September 27, 1981, in Tamil Nadu, India. Balaji was a right-arm fast-medium bowler and a lower-order batsman.

Balaji made his international debut for India in an ODI against West Indies in November 2002. He played 8 Test matches, 30 ODIs, and 5 T20Is for India. Balaji's most memorable performance for India came in the 2004 Test series against Australia, where he took 12 wickets in the series, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the Adelaide Test.

Balaji also played domestic cricket for Tamil Nadu and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. After retiring from cricket, he has worked as a cricket coach and commentator.

Lakshmipathy Balaji played 30 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for India between 2003 and 2005. In his ODI career, he took 34 wickets at an average of 32.73 and an economy rate of 5.11.

Balaji's best performance in ODIs came against Pakistan in Kochi in 2005, where he took 4 wickets for 48 runs in 10 overs. He was also a part of the Indian team that reached the final of the 2003 World Cup, although he did not play in any of the matches.

Overall, Balaji's ODI career was hampered by injuries, which forced him to miss many matches. However, he was a skilled swing bowler and a useful lower-order batsman, and he played an important role in several of India's victories during his ODI career.

Lakshmipathy Balaji played 8 Test matches for India between 2003 and 2005. In his Test career, he took 27 wickets at an average of 37.59 and a strike rate of 65.1.

Balaji made his Test debut against New Zealand in Mohali in 2003 and took 3 wickets in the match. He had his best Test series against Australia in 2004, where he played a key role in India's victory in the second Test at Adelaide by taking a five-wicket haul in the first innings. Balaji finished the series with 12 wickets at an average of 30.16.

However, Balaji's Test career was also affected by injuries, and he struggled to maintain his fitness and form. He played his last Test match against Pakistan in Bangalore in 2005. Despite his relatively short Test career, Balaji remains a popular figure among Indian cricket fans, who appreciate his contributions to some of India's most memorable victories.

Lakshmipathy Balaji played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for several teams during his career. He was a part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad in the first three seasons of the IPL (2008-2010) and played a key role in helping the team win the championship in 2010. Balaji was one of the leading wicket-takers for CSK in that season, taking 13 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 17.76.

After the 2010 season, Balaji was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and played for them in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He was one of the leading wicket-takers for KKR in the 2012 season, taking 11 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 21.54.

Balaji also played for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the 2013 season and for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2014 season. However, he did not have much success in those seasons, and his IPL career came to an end after the 2014 season.

Overall, Balaji played 46 matches in the IPL, taking 52 wickets at an average of 27.30 and an economy rate of 8.31. He was known for his ability to swing the ball at a good pace and for his accuracy in hitting the right areas.