5 Indian-origin spinners who have played for other countries

Cricket in India houses many talented youngsters and experienced campaigners. The competition to represent the country in international cricket is too tough. Many players who work hard and have a bit of luck on their side can make the national team. Unfortunately, the dream remains a long way off for a great number of individuals. 

Many players leave the country to pursue their aspirations of playing cricket and try to make a living by playing for other teams. Some players are fortunate enough to be given these opportunities and make the most of them.

Here are five Indian-origin spinners who have played for other countries: 

5. Ajaz Patel

Ajaz Patel is a left-arm spinner who represents New Zealand in international cricket. The 33-year old was born in Mumbai and emigrated with his family at the tender age of eight. He has played plenty of cricket in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and was a net bowler for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

He has undoubtedly one of the most difficult accomplishments a bowler could hope for. At the Wankhede, his home stadium, he grabbed a ten-wicket haul in an innings against India. After Jim Laker and Anil Kumble, he became only the third bowler in history to accomplish such a feat. In the Test match, he had the greatest figures of his career with 14/225. He also made history for the most wickets taken by a visiting spinner against India.

His spin bowling ability is unparalleled, and he is an important cog in New Zealand’s Test squad setup. Even though he doesn’t receive much game time in New Zealand, he doubles up as a bowler in the subcontinent. In the future, he’ll be a valuable asset for New Zealand on subcontinent tours.

4. Monty Panesar

The former English cricketer was primarily known for his exploits during the memorable England tour of India in 2012. Born in Luton, England, to Indian parents, he is a Sikh. His parents moved from Punjab to Luton and settled with their family.

Panesar’s contributions were invaluable during England’s successful tour of India in 2012. He wrecked the dangerous Indian batting lineup with his quality spin bowling. He paired with Graeme Swann and formed a formidable spin bowling attack against the home team. In three tests, he picked up 17 wickets with career-best figures of 11/210 at the Wankhede Stadium.

The left-arm spinner had a successful career for England in Test cricket. Overall, he took 167 wickets in his career and was the vital second spinner in England’s subcontinent tours. After the tour in 2012, his career went in a downward spiral and gradually he lost his place in the England side. He ultimately announced his retirement from international cricket in 2017.

3. Ish Sodhi

Ish Sodhi, India’s arch-nemesis in the shorter formats, is an Indian native. A quality leg spinner, he has always been India’s Achilles heel in the shortest format of the game. Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, Punjab, and migrated to New Zealand with his family when he was four years old. He moved on to master leg-spin and play cricket.

The leg-spinner weaved a web around the Indian batters and restricted their run flow in the middle overs of the recently concluded ICC World T20. He bowled four overs for 2-17 and helped New Zealand restrict India to a meager score of 110, which ultimately contributed to their elimination from the tournament. He has the most wickets against India of any bowler in the format, with 19 wickets to his name.

Mostly known as a white-ball specialist, Sodhi has picked 83 wickets from 66 games at an economy rate of 8.05. In the pitches that do not aid spin, Sodhi’s numbers are terrific. In shorter formats, he continues to lead New Zealand’s spin attack, and he has been a crucial factor in their white-ball success.

2. Keshav Maharaj

The current vice-captain of South Africa, Keshav Maharaj, has his roots in India. He was born in South Africa to Indian parents. He was born and raised in Durban, where he excelled as a lower-order batter and a slow left-arm bowler. He is the type of bowler who can bowl efficiently while still keeping things tight at one end of the crease.

He was one of the players to be selected in ICC World T20 2021 despite being uncapped in the T20s. In all formats of the game, he has been able to showcase his abilities. He became the second South African bowler to take a hat-trick in Test matches in June 2021. He was primarily known as a red-ball bowler, but he has evolved into a white-ball bowler.

He has an exemplary record in Test format with 129 wickets in just 36 matches with the best figures of 9/129 in an innings. He is also an efficient lower-order batter capable of scoring vital runs with the tail-enders. Overall, he has been a complete package for South Africa in all formats of the game.

1. Samit Patel

The former English all-rounder, Samit Patel, has his ancestry in India. He was born in Leicester but his parents originated from Bhavnagar, Gujarat where he has his relatives. Samit Patel is a hard-hitting lower-order batter and an efficient slow left-arm bowler but his career for England has been sporadic.

His career was full of promise but he failed to translate it to the international level. He represented England in all formats of the game but never made use of his opportunities. As a result, he did not have a distinguished international career, but he remains active in leagues all over the world.

He only had one notable performance throughout his brief career, a five-wicket haul against South Africa in an ODI. He was chosen for his ability to excel in the subcontinent, but he never really got into the act of helping the squad win games. According to the formats, he was primarily chastised for his fitness standards. After a promising career in county cricket, his international career faded into obscurity.