Since the inception of the sport, cricket, there have been a number of top class players who left fans in awe of their performances and made them fall in love with the game even more. The fans can’t take their eyes off whenever they come on to bat or ball.
However, amidst all these superstars, there have been several other talented individuals who were equally talented but always remained under the shadow of other superstars in their respective teams.
Perhaps, they didn’t get as much recognition and fame as they should have. On that note, let’s take a look at five underrated cricketers of all time:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
West Indies former left-handed batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was fun to watch. He made the world believed that you can make truckload of runs even if you don’t possess the textbook technique.
However, there is no denying that Chanderpaul didn’t receive as much fame and recognition as he should have as he remained under the shadow of Brian Lara for most part of his career.
Rangana Herath
Sri Lanka’s former spinner, Rangana Herath didn’t become a big name until Muttiah Muralitharan’s retirement from international cricket.
However, after the latter called time on his career, Herath showed the world what he was made up of. He went on to pick 433 wickets at an average of 28.07.
Looking at his numbers and outstanding contribution to Sri Lankan cricket, he truly deserved more recognition.
Younis Khan
Legendary Pakistan cricketer, Younis Khan was hailed as a man of substance. He strengthened the middle-order of the Pakistan batting line-up, which also had the likes of Inzamam Ul Haq, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik to name a few.
Younis Khan played 118 Test matches for Pakistan and scored 10,099 runs at a sensational average of 52.oo. His numbers in Test cricket tells you how good the batsman he was but, perhaps, fans did’t celebrate his success a lot.
Ajit Agarkar
India’s former fast bowler, Ajit Agarkar came into the Indian team as the next big thig due to his ability to swing both ways with great pace and was no mug with the bat, either.
However, he couldn’t deliver consistent performances and blew hot and cold for most part of his career. Having said that, he dished out numerous match-winning performances. Agarkar finished his international career with 288 wickets in 191 ODIs at an average of 27.85.
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina was a vital cog in India’s destructive middle-order when MS Dhoni was at helm of affairs. The destructive southpaw had the ability to turn the game in a few overs.
A destructive middle-order batter, Raina would so often play crucial cameos either while chasing the target or setting up big totals.
However, it is also true that Suresh Raina always remained under the shadows of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh during his international career.
He represented India in 226 ODIs and scored 5615 runs at an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 93.
