5 batsmen with the biggest backlift

5) Vinod Kambli

Vinod Kambli was never able to fulfil his potential

Slated for greatness, Vinod Kambli only flattered to deceive as his was a story of greatness wasted. Many had predicted back in the 90s that he would be the next great thing in Indian cricket. Things did look good for him as he started stitching out partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar.

With his bandana, earrings and the famous backlift, Kambli defined style as he played his trademark lofted shots. But things went downhill for him as he was bounced out by Courtney Walsh and Kenny Benjamin and suffered a terrible run of form for a brief period. He was then mysteriously overlooked by the selectors and eventually fell out of favour.

The lasting image of Kambli is him being in tears at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata during the 1996 World Cup. Fans, unfortunately, remember him today as being more style than substance as perhaps best summed up by Mukul Kesavan: "He could have tightened up and become a less ambitious, more reliable batsman, but he bet the house on style ... the over-the-top crowd-pleasing on the field..(it) didn't add up to runs on the board."