10 cricketers known for their one-off brilliant moments

Every cricket player who represents his country wants to make a name for himself. He steps onto the field with a burning desire - to leave an indelible impact on the game and win over fans and admirers.

Over the years, the game of cricket has produced innumerable superstars - from Sir Don Bradman to Sachin Tendulkar with the bat and Joel Garner to Wasim Akram with the ball. The list continues to grow and modern-day cricketers like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and James Anderson also look set to end their careers as some of the finest in the present era.

Not everyone can reach the top though. Behind every Tendulkar and Anderson, there are numerous tales of those who showed promise but could not make it big on the international arena.

Cricketers synonymous with one unforgettable act

In this feature, we profile cricketers who did not taste a lot of success in international cricket, but have produced some moments of brilliance that secured their place in cricketing folklore.

#1 Joginder Sharma

Joginder Sharma, a gentle medium-pacer from Haryana, played only four ODIs and four T20Is for India. But he bowled one of the most significant deliveries in the history of Indian cricket. He was the man who claimed the last wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq in the pulsating 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan in Johannesburg.

The scalp of Misbah set off wild celebrations all over India and made Joginder an overnight hero. As irony would have it, he never played for India again, finishing his international career with five wickets in eight matches across T20Is and ODIs combined.

Joginder was in the news again last year, but for totally different reasons. He was on COVID-19 duty, serving as a deputy superintendent of police in Hisar district of Haryana.

#2 Balwinder Sandhu

He could be termed India’s first one-off hero in the World Cup. A right-arm medium pacer from Mumbai, Balwinder Sandhu gave India the big breakthrough in the 1983 World Cup final against the West Indies at Lord’s.

The former pacer bowled the legendary Gordon Greenidge, who shouldered arms to a delivery that came in sharply. The wicket gave India belief that they could upset the mighty Windies and Kapil Dev’s men eventually went on to be crowned champions of cricket.

Sandhu’s ball to dismiss Greenidge in the 1983 World Cup final has gone on to achieve iconic status in the history of Indian cricket. His international career, though, lasted less than two years. He played eight Tests and 22 ODIs, claiming a total of 26 international wickets. A forgotten fact is that he also scored two fifties in Test cricket.

#3 Hrishikesh Kanitkar

For Indian cricket fans who grew up in the 90s, the name Hrishikesh Kanitkar will always ring a bell. The deciding final (third of best-of-three) of the 1998 Independence Cup in Dhaka was on a knife-edge. Kanitkar, however, held his nerve and hit a boundary off Saqlain Mushtaq to lift India to victory, in fading light.

Kanitkar remained unbeaten on 11 off 12 as India chased down 315 with one ball to spare in a pulsating cricket match. The fact that the win came against Pakistan, India’s fiercest rival on the cricket field, made the young left-hander an even bigger hero.

The fame was short-lived though. Kanitkar struggled to reproduce similar moments of magic and ended his international career with two Tests and 34 ODIs to his name.

#4 Asif Mujtaba

Former Pakistan left-hander Asif Mujtaba played 25 Tests and 66 ODIs spread over a decade. But despite repeated opportunities and some obvious talent, he failed to make it big in international cricket.

Mujtaba’s name will forever be associated with the last-ball six he hit off Australia’s Steve Waugh in an ODI in Hobart in December 1992. The Pakistan cricketer hammered Waugh for 16 in the over and the six clobbered over midwicket saw Pakistan tie the nerve-wracking encounter.

Mujtaba was named Man of the Match for his unbeaten 56 off 51 balls. Disappointingly, he ended his international career with an average of 24.42 in Test matches and 26.04 in ODIs.

#5 Ricardo Powell

A typical West Indian batting talent, Ricardo Powell loved to tonk the cricket ball. However, he ended up earning a reputation as a restless slogger. Powell’s rare moment of brilliance on the cricket field came during the final of a tri-series against India in Singapore in 1999.

Chasing 255, West Indies had crumbled to 67 for 4. Powell, however, walked in at No.6 and played one of the most brutal knocks in the history of one-day cricket. He smashed 124 in 93 balls with the aid of nine fours and eight sixes against a reasonable bowling attack featuring Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad.

Powell’s power-hitting saw West Indies cruise to victory in 47.4 overs, with four wickets standing. The Jamaica-born batsman could never replicate the brilliance on the international stage again.

#6 Mike Veletta

Mike Veletta could not make much of an impact on Australian cricket. But he played a key role in Australia’s World Cup triumph in 1987 in Kolkata. Coming in to bat at No.6, he cracked a smart 45 not out off only 31 balls, hitting six fours.

Veletta’s cameo took Australia past 250 in the final against England. It was a significant knock in hindsight as the Aussies lifted their maiden cricket World Cup title with a close seven-run win.

Velleta had a short international career lasting three years, in which he played eight Tests and 20 ODIs.

#7 Rajesh Chauhan

Former India off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan’s career was marred by doubts over his bowling action. And, in most of the games that he featured in, he played second fiddle to Anil Kumble. His moment of glory, rather surprisingly, came with the willow.

In an ODI against Pakistan in Karachi in 1997, India needed eight to win with the ball in Saqlain Mushtaq’s hand. Chauhan was on strike, and everyone wanted him to turn over the strike to the proper batsman Robin Singh.

Instead, Chauhan jumped out of his crease and launched the bowler over the ropes. India easily went on to cross the target of 266 from thereon and Chauhan’s place in Indian cricketing history was secure.

For some Indian fans, this was a revenge to the legendary six Javed Miandad hit off Chetan Sharma.

#8 Sameer Dighe

Sameer Dighe and Harbhajan Singh celebrate the Chennai triumph. Pic: Allsport

Mumbai stumper Sameer Dighe briefly represented India. He will be remembered as someone who played one of the most significant cameos in the history of Indian cricket. Chasing 155 for victory in the deciding Test of the famous 2001 series against Australia, India had crumbled inexplicably to 135 for 7. The hosts seemed on the verge of losing a golden opportunity to defeat the mighty Aussies.

Dighe, a veteran of domestic cricket, held his nerve, nudging and pushing India towards the target. The wicketkeeper-batsman contributed an invaluable 22 off 48 balls to keep India in the hunt before Harbhajan Singh took India past the victory line with a couple off Glenn McGrath.

Dighe played only six Tests and 23 ODIs in a short career and even managed a highest score of 94 not out in one-dayers. But Indian cricket fans will forever associate him with the Chennai knock.

#9 Collis King

Former West Indies cricketer Collis King played nine Tests and 18 ODIs in an unremarkable career. He had some batting talent though. Else how could he outshine Sir Viv Richards in a famous partnership between the two, that too in the 1979 World Cup final against England at Lord’s?

King walked in with West Indies at 99 for 4, batting first in the summit clash. He batted like a king and cracked 86 in only 66 balls. The big-hitter hammered 10 fours and three sixes to put West Indies firmly on top, as England bowlers could only watch in amazement.

King and Richards (138 not out) added 139 runs for the fifth wicket as the Windies went on to post 286 for 9. Clive Lloyd’s men went on to lift their second consecutive World Cup title as Joel Garner claimed five wickets. As for King, he played his last match for West Indies in August 1980.

#10 Anthony Stuart

How many cricketers have taken a one-day hat-trick and never played for their country again? Former Aussie medium-pacer Anthony Stuart may be the only name on the list. He claimed 5 for 26 in an ODI against Pakistan in Melbourne in January 1997.

During the course of his brilliant spell, Stuart dismissed Ijaz Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim and Moin Khan with the third, fourth, and fifth balls of his sixth over to claim a famous hat-trick. He was even named man of the match as Australia won the game by three wickets.

Despite the match-winning performance, Stuart was never seen in Australian colors again. In fact, his international cricket career lasted all of 12 days - from January 5 to January 16, 1997.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar