_with_L_Balaji_(left).jpg) Balaji (left) in 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1981-09-27)27 September 1981 (age 44) Madras,Tamil Nadu, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armfast medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 245) | 8 October 2003 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 24 March 2005 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 147) | 18 November 2002 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 8 February 2009 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 55 (formerly 7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 43) | 11 September 2012 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 2 October 2012 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 55 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001/02–2015/16 | Tamil Nadu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Chennai Super Kings(squad no. 55) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008/09 | Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Kolkata Knight Riders(squad no. 55) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Kings XI Punjab(squad no. 55) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source:ESPNcricinfo,5 May 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lakshmipathy Balaji (born 27 September 1981) is an Indian cricketcoach and former internationalcricketer. He was a right-armfast medium bowler. He represented theIndian cricket team and was part of the Indian team that finished as runners-up in the2004 Asia Cup. He played forTamil Nadu andSouth Zone in domestic cricket.
In November 2002, he made hisOne Day International debut againstWest Indies. He made hisTest debut againstNew Zealand in October 2003. He played the last of his eight test matches againstPakistan in March 2005, finishing with 27 wickets. He played 30 ODIs for India until 2009, taking 34 wickets. Later he played eightTwenty 20 Internationals.
He played for theChennai Super Kings in theIndian Premier League from 2008 to 2010, winning the2010 Indian Premier League andChampions League Twenty20. He also played forKolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2013, winning the2012 Indian Premier League and, in 2014, forKings XI Punjab. After his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2016, he served as the bowling coach of the Knight Riders in 2017 and the Super Kings from 2018 to 2022.
Lakshmipathy Balaji was born on 27 September 1981 inMadras,Tamil Nadu.[2] He married Priya Thalur in 2013.[3]
After making his debut forTamil Nadu during the2001–02 Ranji Trophy, Balaji was selected for theIndian national cricket team in 2002.[2] In November 2002, he made hisODI debut againstWest Indies in the fifth match of theseries atVadodara. He went wicket less in four overs as India lost the match by five wickets.[4] He did not play another international match before histest debut againstNew Zealand inOctober 2003 atAhmedabad. He took his first and only wicket in the match, which ended in a draw.[5] In the next match of the series, he went wicket-less.[6] In January 2004, he was part of the Indian team that played atri-series withAustralia andZimbabwe inAustralia. He played all the 10 matches and finished as the fourth highest wicket taker in the series with 13 wickets.[7]
Following his performance in Australia, he was selected for theIndian team that touredPakistan in March–April 2004. He played in all the three test matches and finished as the second highest wicket taker with 12 wickets, leading India to a series victory.[8] In the subsequent ODI series, which was also won by India, Balaji took six wickets in five matches.[9] He was part of the Indian team that finished as runners-up in the2004 Asia Cup but took just three wickets from four matches.[9] Balaji played two ODIs in the2004 Videocon Cup tri-series with Australia and Pakistan, taking six wickets to finish as the leading wicket taker.[10] He played two matches during theIndian team, taking two wickets.[9] During the subsequentvisit of Pakistan in March 2005, Balaji played all the three test matches, the final match of which was the last of his career.[6] He took nine wickets in the first match of the series including his career best of 5/76 in the first innings.[11] He finished as the third highest wicket taker of the series which ended in a draw.[12] In the subsequent ODI series, he took just three wickets in four matches, which resulted in an Indian defeat.[9][12]
In 2005, Balaji suffered astress fracture, which got exaggerated as he continued to play with injury. Subsequent injuries ruled him out of playing cricket for more than a year.[13] Balaji made his return to cricket in 2007 and after a strong2008-09 domestic season where helped Tamil Nadu reach theRanji Trophy semifinals, he was called up to the Indian ODI squad in January 2009.[14] Balaji played the final match of the series againstSri Lanka, which turned out to be final ODI match of his international career.[9] In February,BCCI announced that Balaji had been dropped from the ODI squad for theNew Zealand tour but had been selected for the test squad.[15] But he did not play any matches in the series.[6]
Balaji made hisT20I debut against New Zealand at his home ground inChennai on 11 September 2012.[16] Subsequently, he was selected in the Indian squad for the2012 ICC World Twenty20.[17] He played four matches in the tournament including his last international match againstSouth Africa. He took nine wickets to finish as the fourth highest wicket taker despite playing only four matches as India crashed out of the tournament in the group stage.[18]
On 29 March 2008, Balaji wassigned byChennai Super Kings (CSK) to play in theinaugural edition of theIndian Premier League.[19] On 10 May 2008, he picked up the tournament's firsthat-trick in the match againstKings XI Punjab inChennai, finishing with a match-winningfive-wicket haul and earning his first Man of the Match award.[20][21] He played 29 matches across three seasons for CSK, taking 31 wickets.[22] He was part of the squad that won the2010 Indian Premier League andChampions League Twenty20.[23][24] Ahead of the2011 season, he was purchased byKolkata Knight Riders in theIPL auction.[25] He took 33 wickets in 35 matches across three seasons.[22] He won the2012 Indian Premier League title with Knight Riders, defeating his former team Super Kings in the finals.[26] In his finalseason of the IPL, he played forKings XI Punjab, taking 12 wickets in nine matches.[22]
After his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2016, he was appointed as bowling coach and mentor by Kolkata Knight Riders for the2017 Indian Premier League season.[27][28] For the2018 season, he was appointed as the bowling coach of Chennai Super Kings.[29] He resigned from the post in 2022, citing personal reasons, but continued to work for the Super Kings Academy.[30]
