Ben Laughlin

A promising limited-overs bowler from Victoria, Ben Laughlin made his first-class debut in 2008 before playing the other two formats the same year. Impressed by bowling skills, the Australian selectors have him a T20I cap to play against South Africa in 2009 before making his ODI debut against the same opposition. After featuring in a handful of 50-over games for Australia in 2009, he was never picked again. It's fair to say that he didn't do anything extraordinary to merit further selection either. After a hiatus, he was picked in 2013 for a couple of T20Is before being dropped from the squad again. He hasn't represented Australia since then.

Considering his impeccable domestic performances in white-ball cricket, it's a surprise to many that Laughlin failed to get going in the international circuit. It could be perhaps due to being nervous on the big stage or purely a lean patch that happens with anyone. The end result though was that Laughlin couldn't hit the ground running in Australian colors. In the domestic circuit however, he has been a reputed bowler in the shorter formats over the years. Blessed with the ability to bowl a ripping outswinger, Laughlin's other skill was the ability to vary his pace at will with absolute control. This made him tough to score off and batsmen often perished in the bid to up the ante against him.

In the era of T20 Leagues, Laughlin has been a selection across the globe, notably in the IPL and CPL apart from the BBL in Australia. He is the leading wicket-taker in the BBL till date and has been a core member of the Adelaide Strikers set up. In the IPL, he was a part of the CSK squad in the early seasons but never got a game. Later on, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad but barely got to play. At the 2018 auctions, he got picked by the Rajasthan Royals franchise and one feels that this association could see him play a bigger role than he has so far in the IPL. The Victorian's skill set in white-ball cricket seems to be improving with time like wine and he is expected to be a vital cog of whichever limited-overs outfit that he features in.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan