Top ten cricketers from Punjab

The northern state of Punjab is famous for its larger than life attitude and bold nature. The cricketers from the state bring along with them the same qualities to the table and are known for their gutsy, entertaining and never die attitude.

Cricketers from Punjab have served the nation since a long time and have contributed heavily in various departments. Take a look at the top ten cricketers from Punjab that have played for India.

#1. VRV Singh

A tall and muscular bowler with an imposing action, VRV Singh attracted eyeballs very early in his career. He was impressive during his U-19 years and left a mark in his first domestic season as he troubled batsmen with his raw pace.

Despite his inaccuracy and lack of fitness, Indian management roped him into the national team banking on his ability to deliver pace. He debuted against the West Indies in 2006 and bowled decently in his first outing.

However, his failure to up the ante and availability of other options ruled him out of the Test team and he has now become a mainstay in the domestic circuit.

VRV Singh featured in five Tests picking up eight wickets along with playing two ODIs.

#2.Gurkeerat Singh Mann

Mann is an effective all-rounder in the limited overs format

A middle-order batsman and an effective off-spinner, Gurkeerat Mann emerged to the limelight courtesy of swashbuckling performances in the IPL and in domestic cricket.

Known for his lusty blows, Gurkeerat is a prolific batsman in the middle order and his game makes him ideal for the shorter format. Thanks to his impressive feats with India A, he was drafted in the ODI team in 2016 to face Australia.

However, the all-rounder managed to score only 13 runs in three innings and was abysmal with the ball. But the 27-year-old still has age on his side, and his chances of staging a comeback in the national team are massive taking into consideration India's fragile middle order.

#8. Sarandeep Singh

Sarandeep Singh's off-spin was probing and consistent

An off-spinner who could extract plenty of bounce from the pitch, Sarandeep Singh rose to prominence with his probing lengths and tight lines.

The off-spinner was Punjab's ace weapon in domestic cricket and he picked up more than 300 wickets in his first-class career. But he failed to carry his magic into international cricket and has only ten wickets in four Test innings.

His ODI career too was short-lived and he featured in only five ODIs. After his stint as a cricketer, he ventured into other roles and also served as a selector of India's national team.

#7. Harvinder Singh

Singh, pictured here with Sanjay Bangar, failed to make his mark in the long format

Harvinder Singh played only three Tests and 16 ODIs for India but was an instrumental member of the team courtesy of his right-arm bowling.

After impressing the selectors with his performances in domestic cricket, Harvinder broke into India's Test team in 1998. He was effective in patches but failed to make a significant impact in Tests and hence was sidelined from the team after featuring in three Tests.

He was given more chances in ODIs but again the inconsistency haunted him and after picking 24 wickets in 16 ODIs, he was dropped. However, his three-wicket haul in the first ODI of the Sahara Cup against Pakistan enabled India to defend a modest total, and that game remains a memorable event in Harvinder's cricket career.

#6. Dinesh Mongia

Mongia was a perfect utility cricketer

A utility cricketer, ideal for the limited overs format, Dinesh Mongia served Indian cricket during the first decade of the 21st century by batting in the middle order and by bowling few overs as the fifth-bowler.

As a batsman, he was neither prolific nor technically perfect and his bowling was not probing either, but he worked on his limitations and became more than his sum of parts.

After playing 57 ODIs, he averaged 27.95 with the bat and also has 14 wickets to his name. His finest moment came in the ODI series against Zimbabwe in 2002 when he amassed 159 runs to win India the deciding game.

#5. Lala Amarnath

Lala Amarnath has his name firmly in Indian cricketing legend

Lala Amarnath's name will be forever inked in India's cricket history, as he was the first batsman to score a Test century in the country. That memorable hundred came in his debut Test and although he played 23 more Tests, he scored no more centuries in it.

He did become India's captain but for the most part of his career was a rebellious cricketer who spoke against the discrimination in cricket and had to pay dearly for his views. In his latter stages, he blossomed as a bowler and once routed England at their home for a mere 70 runs by sending back their top-four batsmen.

He scored 878 runs in 24 Tests and claimed 45 wickets, but his legacy lies beyond the numbers and Lala is remembered in Indian cricket as a father figure.

#4. Navjot Sidhu

Navjot Sidhu could destroy strong bowling attacks

Nicknamed as 'Sixer Sidhu' for his massive sixes, Navjot Sidhu was an imposing batsman capable of tearing apart bowlers and also playing long innings. He had an unconventional technique that included several gaping holes in it, but what made him successful was his grit and a never-say-die attitude.

He stone-walled against West Indies to bat for 11 hours in 1996/7 to display his patience and a few years back, trashed eight sixes against Sri-Lanka to exhibit his muscle power. However, his finest achievement is his string of four consecutive fifties in 1996 world cup and four fifties in five innings against Australia in 1997/8.

He scored more than seven thousand international runs in his 16-year career and featured in 51 Tests and 136 ODIs.

#3. Mohinder Amarnath

Amarnath was a master of the counter-attack

The gutsy and valiant Mohinder Amarnath overcame his weakness against the short deliveries not by remodeling his technique but by counter-attacking. His nine overseas Test hundreds testify his valor and ability to stand tall amidst despair and he was known to score runs when the going got tough.

Amarnath's career was plagued by inconsistencies but he also made several successful comebacks and had a plethora of glorious moments to his name. He was the man-of-the-match in the memorable 1983 world cup final and averaged 42.50 in Tests.

In ODIs, his all-around skills were effective as he scored close to two thousand runs in 85 matches and also picked 46 wickets.

#2. Harbhajan Singh

The most successful off-spinner in the country, Harbhajan Singh's recipe to success was simple. Loads of flight, cunning drift, smart variations and plenty of aggression which made the batsmen feel uneasy.

During the decade of 2000-2010, he tagged with Anil Kumble and spearheaded India's spin department to torment batsmen across the world. He was especially severe against Australia whom he pulverized in the famous Test series in 2001 by claiming 32 wickets.

His smart change of pace enabled him to become India's go to man in the shorter formats of the game and he played a vital role in India's successful world cup campaigns in 2007 and 2011.

Bhajji, as he is famously known, has claimed 417 Test wickets in 103 Tests along with 269 ODI wickets.The off-spinner also has a hat-trick to his name in Test cricket.

#1. Yuvraj Singh

Aggressive, flamboyant and entertaining: Yuvraj at his best

In a cricket field, there are few things that Yuvraj Singh hasn't achieved. He has hit bowlers for six sixes in one over, has chased targets when the game was doomed long back, has pulled out stunners at point region, has hit the stumps with the batsman not even in the picture and most importantly has won his nation the world cup in ODI as well as T20Is.

But the ride has been anything but smooth. The prolific left-hander had to battle against inconsistency, flaws in technique while coping up with the white ball and other issues. But nothing stopped him from becoming one of India's most popular cricketers of all-time and his battle against cancer only added to his legendary status.

With close to nine thousand runs in 304 ODIs and 17 international hundreds, Yuvraj undoubtedly is one of the finest batsmen of the modern era but nothing defines him more than his world-cup exploits where he was at his brutal best.