#2 Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan’s career was epitomised by the intense swing he produced, and he put this skill to good use in ODIs, where he averaged 30.11 over his career. From a country not known to produce fine fast bowlers, he was a gem in the rough.
His international career was path breaking for an Indian seamer, as he broke many records with his left arm fast-medium bowling. His only five-wicket haul is against Sri Lanka; he ended with figures of 5 for 42 in in India’s 2007 away tour of Sri Lanka, where he got the wickets of Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Fareez Maharoof and Malinga Bandara in a match winning performance.
Zaheer was a master of picking early wickets with the new white ball, and making the ball reverse (his career spanned a time before two new balls) in later overs. His immaculate action and perfect seam position made him an invaluable asset for India throughout early 2000s. He missed out on increasing his tally of 5-fers seven times, and ended his career with the respectable tally of eight innings with four or more wickets.
