IPL 2017: All you need to know about Colin de Grandhomme

Fast-bowling all-rounders are the pride of any team in international cricket. Their ability to bowl quick while sharing new-ball duties provides the skipper with multiple bowling options. And when it’s time to bat, the batting gene in them takes over and there’s just more value on offer for the team.

Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee did that for years. Years later, Jacques Kallis took the genre to new heights for South Africa. And in November last year, New Zealand unearthed another gem of their own.

Colin de Grandhomme shot to fame when he ran through Pakistan with a 6/41 in the 15.5 overs that he bowled on his debut outing. And now, having been called up as a replacement for Andre Russell, the 30-year-old is all set for an IPL debut.

But where exactly did Colin de Grandhomme come from? Here’s everything that you need to know about KKR’s latest addition to IPL 2017.

- He was born in Zimbabwe on July 22, 1986

- Played for Zimbabwe in the U-19 Cricket World Cup

- Played for Zimbabwe A and Zimbabwe U-23 sides

- Left Zimbabwe in 2005

- Started playing domestic cricket in New Zealand from 2006/07 for Auckland

- In the 2010/11 season, he was a part of the Auckland set-up that won the domestic one-day and T20 tournament

- He quickly earned a reputation as a big-hitting fast-bowling all-rounder and made his international debut for New Zealand in a T20I in February 2012 against the country of his birth, Zimbabwe

- Had a phenomenal domestic season in 2013/14 with 629 runs and 30 wickets from 10 matches

- In three seasons since 2011, he has scored over 600 runs in a season on three occasions

- His returns of 6/41 are the best ever figures for a New Zealander on Test debut

- He has the highest career strike rate in the world in T20s at 171.04 (with a minimum of 1000 runs and 250 balls). Incidentally, Russell (the man de Grandhomme replaces) is in second place with 164.71

- He has played for New Zealand in all three formats.