5 greatest players from Tamil Nadu

The southern state of Tamil Nadu has remained a fertile ground for budding cricketers since several decades. Cricket is more than a sport around Chennai and the love this game garners in this city is exhibited by the immense fan following of Chennai Super Kings, IPL's famous franchise.

In the recent years, the state has specially produced some highly elegant and classy top order batsmen along with pace bowlers like L Balaji. The Dinesh Karthiks, Badrinaths and Ramans have been a legend in domestic cricket and their contribution to India's national team cannot be ignored.

Making a list top five cricketers from Tamil Nadu is a daunting task as options are in plenty. After analyzing the stats and the impact of these players, this is a compilation of top five cricketers from this southern state. Check out, who have made to this elite club!

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#5. Robin Singh

Robin Singh was way ahead of his times. He represented India in an era when fielding wasn't considered a skill and cricketers were either batsmen or bowler. Robin brought with him quickness in the field and soon became the best Indian fielder and his all-around skills imparted the much-needed balance in the team.

Although he couldn't reach the benchmark set by Kapil Dev for an all-rounder, Robin was an essential cog in the Indian team during the late 1990's.

The Tamil Nadu player was known for punching above his weight and despite his limitations, made a mark due to his nerveless batting, powerful hitting, and cool headed bowling. His major contribution though came in the cover point region where he placed himself to become an unbreakable wall in the path of the ball.

His finest all-around performance came against Sri-Lanka in 1997, when he slammed a hundred and picked three wickets in four overs and his run-a-ball 82 at Dhaka in 1998 enabled India to register a memorable win against Pakistan.

A man who was more than the sum of his parts, he was the perfect 'utility cricketer' even before the term made its appearance in ODI cricket.

#4. Srinivas Venkataraghavan

An off-spinner who was blessed with a smart mind and strong body, Srinivas Venkataraghavan was a part of India's famous spin quartet. However, he had to compete for a place in the side with the other off-spinner E Prasanna and it was only after 1970's that Venkatragahavan became a regular in India's national team.

The off-spinner had lovely control over his variations and was known to set the batsmen up effectively. His shrewd mind played a vital part in his wickets and also made him a leader. He was the vice-captain of the team that created havoc in world cricket in 1971.

To add venom to his bowling, he brought in his arsenal, a special delivery, which came at a rapid pace and moved away after pitching. This 'off-spinner's flipper was Venkataraghavan's baby that surprised even the best among the batsmen.

He played international cricket for almost two decades (18 years 214 days) with only a few others surpassing him. He retired from the first-class cricketer after claiming 530 Ranji wickets, the second highest by any bowler during that time.

Later on, he ventured into umpiring and became the first cricketer to play 50 Tests and also officiate in 50 Tests.

#3. Murali Vijay

When on song, Murali Vijay is one of the classiest and elegant batsmen in the world. His footwork, quick wrists, and steady head enable him to play the flicks and the whips with a beautiful posture which photographers love to capture in their cameras.

His drives are even better. Leaning on the front foot, he shows the full face of the blade without committing a single error. He is, as they say, a 'delight to watch'.

But he goes into his zone not frequently and this is the reason why he was sidelined from India's national team. His emergence clashed with the era of the Sehwag-Gambhir duo, who became India's most successful opening combination.

Hence Vijay had to wait for four years to stage a comeback in India's Test team. But after his comeback, he has become India's first choice opener and one of the best in this position across the world.

He was also responsible for Chennai Super Kings' consistent run in the IPL. His solid starts at the top paved way for the massive scores which CSK is famous for. But he failed to replicate his limited over heroics in ODI and T20s and thus has now become a T20 specialist.

#2. Kris Srikkanth

Kris Srikkanth was the first legend Tamil Nadu gifted to India. The flamboyant batsman was a favourite amongst the crowd and was capable of inflicting serious damage at the top of the order.

His aggressive batting was the perfect balance to Sunil Gavaskar's calm and serene approach and the duo stitched some memorable batting partnerships.

Srikanth's finest phase in cricket was the 1983 world cup when his runs at the top of the order provided India relief and also laid the foundation of the historic title triumph.

He scored only two hundreds in his 72 Test innings and averaged a mere 29.88. But his greatness lies not in numbers but in the style of his batting which earned him a million fans.

His stint in ODI's yielded better results and finished his career with more than four thousand runs in 145 innings. His swashbuckling knock of 102 off 104 balls scripted India's famous chase against Australia in 1986 while his 123 off only 103 balls against Pakistan in a losing cause exhibited his batting prowess.

#1. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin had a near-seamless transition from ODI to Test cricket

R Ashwin emerged in international cricket with his carrom ball which was a kind of 'off-spinner's googly'. He was Chennai Super Kings' trump card during their IPL heroics and a perfect limited over bowler who excelled in keeping the batsmen quiet with his intelligent variations.

He was also lucky because his rise collided with the end of the successful spin era of Kumble and Harbhajan in Indian cricket. Ashwin filled the void silently and became India's lead spinner in Tests.

He innovated regularly to keep himself ready for the changing Test scenarios and the fact that India made their home pitches a dust bowl to exploit the home advantage helped in increasing his wicket count.

He was the leading wicket-taker in Tests in 2015 and 2016 and since his debut in 2011, he has the most scalps across the world. However, with his rise in Tests, his form in limited overs cricket has dropped and he has become a mediocre force.

Along with his off-spin bowling, his batting is also effective and he is currently India's first choice number six batsman in Tests. With more than two thousand Test runs and close to 300 wickets, he has already stamped his name in the history books but looking at his current form, he is sure to scale greater heights.