8 famous brother duos who represented their nation in T20I cricket

India's young off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar was ruled out of the limited-overs series in England due to an ankle injury picked up while playing football during a training session. Left-arm spinning all-rounders Axar Patel and Krunal Pandya have been named as his replacement in the ODI and T2OI teams respectively. Patel, who has already played 38 ODIs for India, will get another chance to show his worth but this is Krunal's maiden call-up to the Indian team.

Krunal has been impressive for his IPL side Mumbai Indians ever since he made his debut three years back. He is the elder of the two Pandya brothers and earned his long-awaited call-up after consistent displays with both and ball in domestic cricket and IPL.

Hardik, the younger Pandya brother made his debut for India two and half years ago and has cemented his place in the team as the dynamic pace-bowling all-rounder of the side. He has played over 75 matches across all three formats.

The Pandya brothers are star players for Mumbai Indians as both of them provide invaluable contributions with bat, ball and their electric fielding. Their performances have been integral to Mumbai's consistency in the IPL over the past three years. They feed off each other's energy and one's presence spurs the other one to greater heights.

Krunal has been the better performer for Mumbai Indians and was instrumental during their title-winning season in 2017 and finally gets a deserved call-up to play with his brother. It will be interesting to see how the Pandya brothers can combine to translate their performances from the Mumbai Indians blue to the Indian blue.

As Krunal is set to make his debut for India and line up alongside his younger brother Hardik in a celebratory moment for the Pandya family, we take a look at the 8 famous brother duos we have witnessed in T20I cricket so far-

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#8 Niall O'Brien and Kevin O'Brien (Ireland)

Born into a family with rich cricketing tradition, the O'Brien brothers have gone on to become pioneers of cricket in Ireland. The brothers are probably the most globally recognized cricketers to come from Ireland, thanks to their exploits in major tournaments when fans from around the world are watching. Both are pivotal members of the team as Niall was the keeper of the side for a long time and Kevin is a hard-hitting all-rounder.

Both the brothers made their debuts long way back in 2006 and have been the flag-bearers for Irish cricket as they have played crucial roles in some of the famous Irish triumphs. Niall top scored with a well-composed 72 during their shock victory against Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup, while Kevin was the man at the crease when the winning runs were scored.

Kevin scored a scintillating ton against arch-rivals England, in a memorable run chase in excess of 330. The knock till date remains the fastest World Cup century.

While the elder brother Niall has represented Ireland in 100 ODIs and 30 T20Is, the younger brother Kevin has gone even further by representing them in 124 ODIs and 64 T20Is.

Their long term dream of playing Test match cricket for their country came true earlier this year against Pakistan and once again it was Kevin who stepped up with a historic ton in their maiden test match.

The two brothers have been great servants of the game and have provided a lot to Irish cricket and have a few more years of playing together left before they decide to hang up their boots.

#7 Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan (India)

The Pathan brothers were the first to represent India together in the shortest format of the game. Both the brothers were a part of India's victorious World T20 triumph in South Africa in 2007. Irfan was instrumental in India's successful campaign as he was the pace-bowling all-rounder, batting at 7.

Irfan came up with useful performances with both bat and ball, but saved his best for the final against arch-rivals Pakistan. Uncapped elder brother Yusuf received his maiden cap in the final due to Sehwag's absence.

Yusuf scored a brisk 15 at the top of the order and chipped in with a quiet over in the middle overs. Irfan, the man of the final was the game changer though as he bowled a fine spell of 3-16 in a tense situation. Injuries and poor form has meant that the Pathan brothers didn't get too many chances to play together in each other's company, but their finest hour came in a T20I fixture against Sri Lanka in 2009.

In a one-off T20I, India were down in the dumps needing 57 off just 29 balls with only 3 wickets left. The game seemed to be sliding away but that's when both brothers put their hands up in stunning fashion. Yusuf scored a blistering 33* off just 16 balls and Irfan was not too far behind with 22* off 10. The blitz from the Pathan brothers saw India romp home with four balls to spare, something that seemed out of question a few overs back.

#6 Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh (Australia)

Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh hail from the famous Marsh family. Their father Geoff Marsh was arguably the best wicket-keeping batsman of his generation. Geoff Marsh has remained a powerful figure in the Australian cricketing circles even after his retirement. The senior Marsh was the coach of the Australian team when they won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999. Geoff Marsh is only the third Test player - after Walter Hadlee and Lala Amarnath - to have two sons play Test cricket.

Shaun, the elder of the two brothers, first came into limelight in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008, when he topped the run charts. However, the journey for Shaun has seen numerous ups and downs as inconsistency has seen him go in and out of the Australian team. The talent of the left-hander was never in question and that's the reason, he got numerous recalls to the national team.

His younger brother Mitchell rode his way into the national team after terrific performances for the under-19 team and for his domestic side. The wiry all-rounder also had difficulties to get a regular spot in the team as constant injuries set him back.

Mitchell was a member of the victorious World Cup winning Australian side. The retirement of the stars of the Australian side and the ball-tampering issues that have seen the captain and vice-captain banned for a year has once again got Shaun in the reckoning and he's hoping to make up for lost time.

Mitchell, who found his feet in the Ashes earlier this year has also finally made his name for the Australians. With the Australian team at possibly its lowest phase in the last thirty years, the Marsh brothers will have to step up to guide the country from this dark, dark phase clouding them.

#5 Dwayne Bravo and Darren Bravo (West Indies)

Dwayne Bravo is one of the most popular cricketers in the world thanks to his charismatic personality. The West Indian who began as a bits and pieces cricketer is one of the most marketable cricketers at the moment. The all-rounder who has now moved away from West Indian cricket after politics and numerous controversies is a prized asset in franchise T20 cricket. He is the leading wicket-taker in the format, and has almost a whopping 100 wickets more than his nearest contender.

Darren Bravo, Dwayne's younger half-brother was touted to be the next big thing in West Indian cricket as his batting style evoked memories of the legendary Brian Lara. The elegant left-hander though has struggled to live up to those expectations, especially in limited overs cricket, where he was expected to be more successful.

Darren has had a stop-start T20 career but he was in the squad when West Indies beat hosts Sri Lanka in 2012 to claim the World T20 title. Dwayne Bravo was one of the standout performers during their twin victories in 2012 and 2016.

Politics and internal issues in West Indian cricket has deprived us the chance of watching the two Bravo brothers in action together for a longer period of time.

#4 Morne Morkel and Albie Morkel (South Africa)

Morne Morkel and Albie Morkel came into the South African squad at almost the same time but possessed absolutely reverse skill-sets. Albie, the elder brother was a hard-hitting all-rounder who thrived in the shorter formats and Morne was the tall, lanky pace bowler tailor-made for the longer formats of the game. Albie shone briefly for South Africa in the shorter formats from 2007 to 2010, after which he was moved on after inconsistent performances.

Morne, the more talented brother, went on to become a regular fixture in the Proteas side in all three formats. Albie went on to make a career out of playing T20 franchise cricket in different T20 leagues around the world. Morne, meanwhile bowled his heart out for the Proteas, battling injuries and went on to form a formidable pace attack with Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.

Though Morne seemed more of a Test-match bowler, he was also immensely successful in limited overs cricket as his height made it difficult for batsmen to deal with his pace and bounce. The Morkel brothers played together in three World T20s in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Despite the best efforts of the Morkel brothers, South Africa choked on all three occasions.

#3 David Hussey and Mike Hussey

The Hussey brothers were fantastic limited-overs batsmen. Michael Hussey, nicknamed Mr.Cricket, was regarded as one of the best finishers in the world. He was a member of that formidable Australian batting line-up that comprised of the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds. Michael Hussey, at one point, had a staggering average in excess of 50 in both tests and ODIs.

David, the younger Hussey brother, was regarded as a limited-overs specialist. He played 69 ODIs and 39 T20Is, but was never able to cement his place in a strong Australian side. He was in and out of the team and despite his attacking talents, the consistency that his elder brother possessed seemed to desert him.

Australia have underperformed in the T20 format of the game and are yet to win the trophy even once and have quite staggeringly, made the final only once in six attempts. The closest they got was when they reached the finals against England in 2010. The Hussey brothers were involved in a remarkable run-chase in the semifinal against Pakistan then.

Mike Hussey smashed a stunning 60 off 24 balls and tore into Saeed Ajmal, the man who was regarded as the best off-spinner in the world at that time. A below-par batting display in the final left England with an easy target to chase down, but it was the other Hussey, David, who showed fight with a hard-earned 59 that took the Australians to a defendable score.

#2 Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal (Pakistan)

A few years back, both the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, were mainstays in the Pakistani team. The two dynamic wicket-keeper batsmen came up with their best performances in the shortest format of the game. Kamran, the elder brother made his debut way back in 2002 and was considered as the replacement for Moin Khan. Despite a few eye-catchy knocks, Kamran blew hot and cold with the bat and was surprisingly shoddy behind the stumps too.

Umar Akmal, the more naturally gifted batsman, made his debut in 2009 and immediately caught the attention of the world due to his massive potential. However, the potential has remained fulfilled as he has failed to hang on to a spot in a Pakistani batting line-up that already looks lost.

Umar Akmal came up with sparkling knocks in all three formats, but lacked the consistency and temperament to go the extra mile. Disciplinary issues and lack of discipline saw him kicked out of the side. Kamran's dismal keeping saw him being dropped out of the side.

Kamran, who is 36 already, might not have too much of international cricket left to play. Umar though, who is still only 28, still has a long time to go to redeem himself provided he can maintain his discipline.

#1 Brendon McCullum and Nathan McCullum (New Zealand)

Brendon McCullum is regarded as one of the greats of New Zealand cricket. Brendon made his debut as a 21-year old flashy, wicket-keeper batsman in 2002 and found it difficult to find his feet as a batsman in both the Test and ODI format. The introduction of the T20 format proved to be a blessing in disguise as he adjusted to the format like fish to water and began to translate this form into the longer formats of the game.

The destructive batsman ended his career as the leading run-scorer in the T20I format and also came up with numerous scintillating performances like his 158* in the inaugural IPL match for Kolkata Knight Riders.

His elder brother, Nathan McCullum, made his international debut in the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007 and made a career out of playing ODI and T20 cricket. Nathan, who was an off-spinning all-rounder was handy with both and ball without being too spectacular.

Nathan was more of a defensive bowler, who would keep things quiet and could also provide a few vital runs down the order. He played 84 ODIs and 63 T20Is, a vast majority of them in his brother's company.

The two McCullum brothers were great servants to New Zealand cricket, bringing in the do-to-die attitude and yet playing fair and within the spirit of the game. Despite their best efforts, they were sadly unable to inspire the Kiwi side to a World Cup trophy that continues to elude them till day.