10 Indian pacers who faded into obscurity

#5 Laxmipathy Balaji

Balaji's name would still bring a smile on anyone's face who remembers the tours of Australia and Pakistan in 2003-04. He broke the back of Pakistan's batting and India had unearthed a star. Also, his ear-to-ear smile brought unprecedented joy to the onlookers. That was Balaji's tour as much as it was Sehwag's.

But continuous injuries after 2005 and drop in pace put him out of reckoning. It was pretty much the same story for Balaji as it was for other Indian pacers during that time. A stress fracture and a back surgery kept him out of cricket for three years. In no time, he completely disappeared and selectors moved on.

But L Balaji knows a thing or two about comebacks. With a remodelled bowling action and a few variations up his sleeve, he forced his way back into the national side riding on a successful IPL and Ranji season for a series against Sri Lanka in 2009. A good season for KKR in 2012 earned him a call up for the World T20.

Balaji is now 36 years old and it doesn't look like fans will see him in India colours again. His career, though brilliant in patches, would always remain one of unfulfilled expectations.

Career stats of L Balaji

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#4 R P Singh

A left-arm quick is always an asset to any team. RP Singh, a product of the U-19 system, came into the national team as a 20-year-old swing bowler. He was especially suited for limited overs cricket, as he could bowl well at the death.

He first revealed his talent in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2005 and continued to be one of the mainstays of Indian pace attack for a couple of seasons. He was a part of the team which won the Test series in England in 2007.

His crowning glory came at the inaugural World T20 when he played a big role in India's victory in the final, taking 3 wickets for 26 runs in his 4 overs. He was also influential in India's famous victory at Perth against Australia during the 2007-08 tour.

But he began to fade away quickly. A spate of wicketless matches cost him his place in the side. Out of contention for the national team for a long time, he was recalled for the England tour in 2011 after Zaheer Khan injured himself during the 1st Test. But that was the last RP would play for India.

He played well in the 2009 IPL season and was instrumental in Deccan Chargers' title win. He didn't feature in the tournament for 3 years from 2013-15 but was picked by Pune Supergiants for the 2016 season. RP now plays for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy and was a part of Gujarat's title win in 2015-16 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Career stats of RP Singh