He is the swashbuckling, free-swinging, long haired poster boy of Indian cricket, with a hit them all attitude- Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s long awaited answer to the batsman –wicketkeeper problem. With his don’t care philosophy, and a fun filled approach to cricket that is all too rare these days, this smiling assassin has got the entire nation drooling over him.

Dhoni came into the team as another unknown entity, another tryout for the troubled wicket keeper slot. Little did people know that this youngster from the struggling Ranji side of Jharkhand, would provide India with a player more spectacular and more daring than Sehwag even.

He was first noticed for his performances in the Duleep trophy. In the following tour of Kenya with India A, he proved himself to be a destroyer of bowling attacks. The call up to the big boys was next, and Dhoni leapt on the chance all too happily. He announced his arrival on the world stage in his 5th ODI, hitting a massive 148 from 123 bowls against a fearsome Pakistani attack. And he followed it up by clobbering a colossal 183 against Sri Lanka. With 10 sixes in the innings, Dhoni made the highest score by a wicket keeper in ODIs. Having cemented his position in the one day team, he soon ousted Dinesh Kartik from the Test squad too. And here he brought with him the same disdain for opposition bowling attacks. Sure enough, comparisons with Adam Gilchrist started being drawn; and just like Gilli, he played a crucial role down the order, often bailing the team out when India looked dead and buried. The showdown between him and Akthar in the test against Pakistan was electric. Under a barrage of short ball and verbal attacks, Dhoni remained unflustered, in fact hitting back with his maiden century. He amassed 148 runs of just 153 deliveries, 42 of those on Akthar’s bowling. He saved follow on for India and established himself as a critical member of the side.

Within a short time of being included in the team, he reached the mark of a 1000 ODI runs and at the 4th highest average of all time. To Dhoni’s credit, he isn’t just another batsman who can keep, but has justified his inclusion as a wicket keeper. With more than a 100 dismissals including a score of stumpings, Dhoni’s keeping continues to improve by the day. He is said to be especially good when standing up to the stumps. His energy and exuberance behind the stumps is reminiscent of Moin Khan. Of late, his batting has slid down slightly and he has often been criticized for getting out playing one shot too many. But that is the essence of M.S. Dhoni. Asking him to lay back would be curbing his free will, robbing both the fans and Dhoni himself, of the natural joy hitting hard. Dhoni is a fan of the sweet sound of leather meeting wood, and letting him flow is the best thing to do. On the pitch, he is one batsman who always looks in command.

This whirlwind style of his is well matched with his flowing hair, characteristics of his which have brought with them a host of advertisements and sponsorship deals. Even the Pakistan President, General Musharraf once confessed to being a fan of Dhoni’s mane. As of now, Dhoni is set to continue his blitzkrieg batting style and the world is waiting in anticipation to watch him hit one clubbing blow after another, as they all shout in unison, ‘dho dala’.

Anil Kumble, the mere mention of these legendary letters is enough to bring a smile on the face of a Cricket fan. flooding back come the memories of countless afternoons spent watching this master spinner ply his trade, tormenting batsmen the world over tirelessly, hour after hour, with a rare mix of a determined, disciplined and deceiving bowling that has left its indelible mark in Cricket History.

To watch Kumble bowl has been artistic. His lanky frame moving in a perfect rhythm towards the batsman, his steely-eyed determination all too visible, and the entire slip cordon waiting to pounce, because with each delivery you know something is going to happen. You can feel his delivery zip through the air, cutting it like a tracer bullet locked on target, and you feel the thud as it hits the pitch, and then takes the most astonishing bounce to leave the spectators and the batsmen, all perplexed as you see one of his many magic tricks unfold.

And this master craftsmen has had his masterpieces, from early with a 6 wicket haul in the Hero Cup finals (the best figures by an Indian in ODIs), the Perfect 10 against Pakistan, the match winning performances abroad, 33 5-wickets in an innings, Anil Kumble has delivered. Records have tumbled along with opposition line ups and Kumble has given one great performance after another. Once criticized for his tame performances abroad, Kumble has proven his critics wrong by taking India to several crucial victories on foreign turf lately.

Kumble is no conventional spinner. This right hand leggie doesn’t rely on spin, nor does his ball loop in the air; rather it cuts through the air, kicks of the pitch and bamboozles the batsman. His accuracy and a bagful of variations make him unplayable on a spinning wicket, a virtual nightmare for batsmen on the sub-continental surfaces. And just to add to their misery, he has often gone on to tie them up for entire sessions at stretch, bowling relentlessly.

He has been the mainstay of the Indian attack for over a decade and along with Warne and Murali, he is widely regarded as one of the best spinners of our times.
Jumbo, as he is often called, thanks to his jumbo jet like deliveries, has been handy with the bat as well, used as a pinch hitter for a part of the late 90′s as well. But he never made the transition to All rounder, making his batting sessions a fun watch, though he has been known to take Batting Seriously like everything else. A man of many talents, this Padma Shri winner continues to shun superstardom, despite even having a Circle in Bangalore named after him. He is trained as a Mechanical Engineer and is known to have a good voice as well.

His bowling statistics speak for themselves, Wisden Cricketer of the year in 1996, he has over 900 scalps to his credit. He’s the most successful Indian bowler, the fourth highest wicket taker in test ever, and he has done so at an incredible average of 28.65. He compliments this by being taking the most wickets in ODIs as well. The record for the most caught and bolds also lies in his kitty.

While others may have faded away, Kumble has continued to pick bucket loads of wickets through out his career, battling back from serious injuries. To borrow from a famous Beatles number, it was 17 yrs ago that Anil Kumble showed the world how to bowl, and batsmen around the world have been playing to his tunes ever since. This World Cup looks promising for this 36 year old, and may prove a fitting swansong to an illustrious career. Is there still another chapter to be added to the story of his career, only time will tell? Here’s wishing him the best of luck for the Cup.

Irfan Pathan is being considered by many as the successor to Kapil Dev. A talented swing bowler, Pathan possesses a lethal inswinger that nips into the right-hander, catching him plump. His ability to swing the ball both ways further perplexes the batsmen and to top it all, this youngster continues to learn new tricks everyday.

From playing gully cricket inside the mosque premises to being at the centre of attention of the blue billion,Irfan Pathan’s climb to cricket stardom is the perfect story of rags to riches, the kind you see in movies, the kind that makes you believe and dare to dream, the kind of story that inspires millions in this cricket crazy nation to go and give it their all on the field. Pathan came from a poor family and cricket provided his escape route. And now, here he is, front lining the Indian pace attack, with a Grade-A BCCI contract, with many endorsement deals and able to support his family at the tender age of 22. His rise is also a salute to the age group channel in domestic cricket and the keen eye of some selectors.

Pathan rose to prominence as part of the winning team in the U-19 world cup. His kitty of 18 wickets got him the Man of the tournament award and since then, Pathan hasn’t looked back. A call to the national side followed and he quickly gained a penchant for getting top wickets. Showing maturity and composure beyond his years, he led the pace attack on the crucial tour of Pakistan where he became the first bowler in test history to take a hat-trick in the first over. What made Pathan stand out was not just his swinging ability, but his aggression and exuberance, whilst keeping a mature head on his shoulders. And he was willing to go the extra mile, now starting to knock a few runs as well. Deservedly, he grabbed the ICC emerging player of the year honors in 2004.

Brimming with confidence, Pathan often added useful contributions, such as the 83 at Nagpur, and started cementing his status as all rounder. Under Chapell, he was used as an opener even. But with an improvement in batting, an indifferent 2006 with the ball followed, leading to him being dropped from the side.

Amidst all the success that has followed, Pathan still carries a soft spoken down to earth attitude about him. He is still very much a student of the game and willing to learn, to improve, because playing cricket still brings the same joy for him that it did when he had 6 hour sessions in the mosque under the burning sun. And he brings to this experienced Indian squad that desire to excel that is all too evident with him. He brings the never say die attitude that has been built in him right from the days when he had to make to with second hand equipment and still outshine the kids born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

With more than 10 half centuries already belted out from his willow, and many memorable performances with the ball, where he has run through the opposition ,experts view young Pathan as an answer to the perennial Indian problem of a genuine all-rounder.
As of now, he is back in the squad. Though his fitness remains a question mark, there are no doubts over his talent. He’s been referred to as a proven match winner by the Captain himself and former greats have shown their approval of his talents as well. Already he has 2 10 wicket hauls to his credit and an impressive test bowling average of 30. The World Cup may just be the stage for him to shine. For he is too youthful, too eager to make his mark, that he be fazed by the magnanimity of the tournament. His first outing at the grandest stage of them all may well prove another fine chapter in the fairy tale story that is Irfan Pathan.

Harbhajan Singh is another prime example of the modern day Indian cricketer. A player full of passion, with talent to match. A player with a fire in his belly, aggressive and fiery, and with a will to perform. An off spinner, he had big shoes to fill, for we were all too many times reminded of the golden generation of Indian spinners, and fill them to perfection he did, earning himself the title of India’s most successful off spinner ever.

Harbhajan made his debut as a relative unknown in 1998, and the youngster suffered a huge setback as he was reported for throwing. It is said that adversity brings out the best from a person and it couldn’t be more true than in his case. Singh was dropped from the national side. What followed was a lengthy remodeling process. But he was still unable to get a call back to the main team. On the personal front, his father died, leaving him to support his family and at times he contemplated quitting cricket. But like many other contemporary stories, his story has been of a successful second coming, returning wiser, more mature and a lot more lethal.

The Turbunator returned entrusted with leading the spin attack against the all conquering Aussies in the Border Gavaskar trophy. And it was here that Harbhajan lived his finest hour. With a record haul of 32 wickets including a hat trick, Harbhajan got the man of the series in one of the best series wins for India.

Since then, With 19 5WI’s and 4 10WI’s to his credit, Harbhajan has solidified his place in the Indian squad, taking over the position of India’s lead spinner from Kumble. Though he has not faired well on foreign tracks, he remains an unplayable enigma on Inidian pitches, his flamboyant style always adding life to those matches.

Harbhajan gained great grit and determination during those tough days, qualities that help him in every match as he tediously and cunningly plots ways to get batsmen out. Blessed with superb control, his deliveries are bowled with a whiplash action, with less flight than normal. Describes as an aggressive spinner in a classical mould, Harbhajan’s arsenal lies in his varying line and length; his main weapons being the straighter one, and the one that climbs unsuspectingly at the batsman from good length.

‘Bhajji’ as he is affectionately called, is known for his explosive cameos with the bat as well. He describes himself as a lower middle order batsman, underlining the fact that his batting is something that he considers seriously and his wicket is not cheap. A fun character to have around in the dressing room, he lightens up the mood with his jokes and has a melodious voice as well. But this fiery and self confident Sikh has attracted his own share of controversy as well. A Ganguly supporter, he spoke out publicly against the coach after the former captain was unceremoniously sacked. He has often attracted the ire of officials for disciplinary conduct. The Royal Stag turban issue and the Guwahati police scuffle are a few other such incidents.

Harbhajan possesses great skill with the ball and can be explosive with the bat as well. Whether he is able to channel his energy towards the right directions and regain the spinning heights he once reached, remains to be seen. But aged 26, he is the main candidate to carry on India’s rich spin legacy after the retirement of the likes of Kumble.

Sourav Ganguly, the name itself encapsulates a thousand stories, starts a hundred debatable topics, reminds you of a story that holds more twists and turns than any soap opera. Dada, as he is affectionately called, captained Team India from 2000 to 2005, and during that tenure led India to incredible success including the finals of the 2003 World Cup. In a career laden with achievements and controversy, Saurav Ganguly has occupied the centre stage in Indian cricket for over a decade. But more than anything, its his batting that really captivates any fan.

One of the cleanest strikers and sweetest timers of the ball, Saurav Ganguly is an exceptional player of the off side. So much so, that his successor as captain, Rahul Dravid, once commented, On the off side, first there is God, then there is Ganguly. There isn’t an attack that he has not mercilessly slaughtered, no gap in the field that he hasn ot found. And he has amassed 15000 runs in the process, and is next only to Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya in number of centuries. His partnerships with Tendulkar are the stuff of legends.The fastest to 6000, 7000, 8000 and 9000 runs in ODIs, the Prince of Calcutta has many records to his credit. But more than the statistics, it is the sheer joy of watching the Bengal tiger in all his glory, that is worth mentioning. Just bring on the off-spinner in front of Ganguly in form, and he pounces on the chance. He steps to the pitch of the ball and hits a clean blow straight out of the ground, a shot which has now become his trademark.

The rise of Ganguly to prominence has been as exciting as his batting. Cricket was not his first love, and he only took to the sport as a pastime. He used his brothers equipment, who was a lefty, so he turned into a left handed batsman as well. And when he started excelling in the sport, further drama followed in the Ganguly household as his inclusion into the Ranji squad was at the cost of his brother’s place. He didn’t let them down however, and was soon selected into the national squad. And he flopped badly to spend the next few years in anonymity. But not being one to step back ever, he finally found a place in the Indian squad in the 96 tour of England. What followed was a century on debut and in his second match. Saurav Ganguly had made a mark on world cricket and was here to stay.

The following years saw him rise to the top of world cricket, with an average of 40+ and many memorable knocks like the 183 against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup. What added to Ganguly’s utility was his handy work with the ball as well. A gentle medium pacer, he has nearly a hundred ODI wickets and many feel he could have done a lot better in that department.

An aggressive character on field, he was finally made captain of team India in 2000. And he was just the kind of Captain that a youthful side trying to emerge from the shadows of match fixing needed. His fire and determination spread through the team and he led team India to unprecedented success. Wins in away test series, a run of 13 consecutive finals of tournaments, Champoions trophy and World Cup finals followed. The image of a jubilant Ganguly swinging his shirt from the Lords balcony as India won the Natwest Trophy is a part of cricketing folklore. He presented the team with character and a will to fight, a will that often led him into trouble with match officials and kept him wrapped in controversy always.

But his personal form declined over the years and he was often criticized for being unable to play the short ball. After many failures, and public fall outs with coach Greg Chappell, he was unceremoniously dropped from the side and his career looked over.

But yet again, after a 15 month lay off, the Prince of Calcutta roared back to grab a man of the series award in his return series in Feb 07. A Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee, Ganguly is known to be a quiet man with nerves of steel. A devoted husband and a religious person, his marriage with wife Dona is no less eventful than any Hindi movie.

And heading into the world cup, he once again looks ready to shine, to mark his territory and as always, and to provide a solid answer to all those who ever doubted his abilities. No matter how he fairs, one thing is for certain, that there is a lot many chapters to be written in the amazing tale of our beloved Dadaa.