Five greatest international players from Uttar Pradesh

#4 Rudra Pratap Singh: Summoning scary thoughts in the batsman’s mind with accurate in-swingers

RP Singh was unplayable at times

“I started pushing myself and even touched 149 kph in Perth.”

Combining pace with a smooth run-up, RP Singh’s ability to bowl well in the slog overs made him an enigma in the Indian pace bowling attack from 2005 onwards. Having picked up eight wickets at an impressive average of 24.75 in the Under-19 World Cup in 2004, RP caught the selectors' eyes soon after.

Having played just a year and a half of serious cricket before deciding to polish his skills in the Chennai-based MRF Pace Academy, the left-armer sent the nation into a tizzy with inspired bowling, starting right from his debut match in Faisalabad in which he picked up five wickets.

The T20 World Cup triumph in South Africa, in which he emerged as the highest wicket-taker for India, started his ascent towards greater glories. He was a part of the side's path-breaking wins, at Trent Bridge in 2007 and Perth in 2008, consistently bouncing out the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Hussey.

Bestowed with the ability to reverse the old ball and move the newer one both ways, the bowler from Rae Bareilly epitomised accuracy with sharp pace, confounding right-handed batsmen with his clever in-swingers.

Before drifting away into anonymity, the 31-year-old displayed his potential in the 2009 season of the IPL, notching up 31 wickets as he guided Deccan Chargers to the title. Even though he has been out of favour with the national team since 2011, after playing 58 ODIs and 14 Test matches for them, he continues to make his presence felt in domestic cricket, in which he placed in the top-15 wicket-takers in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2015.

Last year, he shifted base from Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat for the Ranji season, picking up 18 wickets at an average of 25.44 and was instrumental in handing Gujarat their maiden Ranji title.