Top 5 wrist spinners in the world right now

When T20 cricket was in its infancy more than a decade ago, there was a feeling that the new format might become the death of spin bowling. Questions were raised about whether spinners could survive in the era of big bats, small boundaries and flat pitches.

Wrist spin especially, owing to the difficulty in mastering the art, was considered to be on its last legs. Experts wondered if the wrist spinners would be daring enough to survive the onslaught of the new breed of batsmen who attacked the bowlers mercilessly from the word go.

Gone are the days when wrist spin was considered a dying art. The revival has been remarkable. Wrist spinners have not just survived but also thrived in the shorter formats.

Here are five of the best wrist spinners in the shorter formats:

#5 Adil Rashid

The 29-year-old leggie has now cemented his place in England's limited overs side. His road to the top has been anything but smooth. England's indifference towards spin, his own inconsistency and failure prove to himself in the longer format have all hampered his progress.

Making his limited overs debut way back in 2009, he had to wait six years to make his debut in Test cricket. He enjoyed an eventful debut as he was smashed for almost 5 runs an over by the Pakistani batsmen but he also picked up his maiden five-wicket haul.

After his debut Test tour, Rashid did not get as many opportunities as he would have liked. On the other hand, his limited-overs career has been very promising and he has developed into England's best leg-spinner since Doug Wright.

Rashid has a solid stock delivery and a well-disguised googly. Despite his inconsistency and tendency to bowl expensive spells, Rashid's wicket-taking ability has made him a valuable component of Eoin Morgan's side.

#4 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav is fast establishing himself in the Indian set-up

Kuldeep Yadav first grabbed eye-balls with a superb performance in the 2014 under 19 World Cup. He ended as the joint top wicket-taker, with 14 scalps in 6 matches. Despite getting limited opportunities in the Indian Premier League owing to the spin bowling surplus in KKR, he managed to impress the selectors.

This lion-hearted chinaman has spun his way through the ranks and looks set for greatness. From his exploits in the 2012 under 19 World Cup to bamboozling the Australian batsmen in their ongoing tour of India, Kuldeep Yadav has come a long way.

He belongs to the unique breed of left-arm wrist spinners. Apart from this obvious and distinct edge that most chinaman bowlers bring to their sides, Kuldeep can bowl the regular leg-spinner, the googly and the top spinner with absolutely no change in action. This makes it even more difficult for batsmen to read his deliveries.

He is one player India must groom for the 2019 ICC World Cup if they harbour any hopes of claiming the trophy.

#3 Yasir Shah

Yasir Shah holds the record for being the fastest to 100 Test wickets

From Swabi to Lord's, from a doping ban to becoming the world's No.1 Test bowler, Yasir Shah's rise has been spectacular. He made his First-class debut at the age of 15 and his international debut followed nine years later. However, he was unable to cement his place in the side.

Yasir continued to produce solid performances in the Pakistani domestic circuit and the suspension of Saeed Ajmal due to a suspect action meant the leg-spinner was drafted again into the national side.

After a slow start to his renewed international career, Yasir began his meteoric rise in the longer format. He became the first Pakistani to hold the top bowling spot in the Test rankings since Mushtaq Ahmed two decades ago.

Yasir also broke Australian spinner Clarie Grimmet's 83-year-old record when he became the fastest spinner in the history of Test cricket to reach 150 wickets. He has also been hailed the best leg-spinner since Shane Warne. Despite his excellent record in the longer format, Yasir's limited overs career is yet to take off. With only 18 ODI wickets and no T20 wicket to his name, he hasn't made his mark in the limited overs formats yet.

However, there is no doubt that he is one of the best wrist spinners in the world right now.

#2 Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has taken the cricketing world by storm

War-torn Afganistan has found an unlikely hero and poster boy in this precociously talented wrist spinner, Rashid Khan. Very few players in the history of the sport have accomplished as much as he has by the age of 19. He is already the indispensable mainstay of the Afghan team and has also become one of the most sought-after players in T20 leagues all over the world.

He produced splendid performances in the cash-rich Indian Premier League after being snapped up by the Sunrisers for a hefty sum of $59700. Widely considered as the torchbearer for wrist spin, Rashid Khan outnumbers leg breaks with googlies, something he has perfected to terrorize the batsmen.

With good pace, incredible accuracy and unpredictable variations, this Afghan teenager has taken the cricketing world by storm.

As wrist spinners tend to improve with age and experience, Afganistan has an enviable talent in their ranks.

#1 Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir has delivered consistently for South Africa

One of the best spinners of his generation, Imran Tahir's rise to the top has been a ride filled with determination, passion, and enthusiasm. Born in Pakistan, where he failed to make his mark, Tahir shifted to South Africa hoping for opportunities, a decision which has paid dividends.

It was his immaculate control and guile with the ball that propelled him to the pinnacle of the bowling charts in the two shorter formats of the game. Probably South Africa's best ever spinner, Tahir quickly established himself as their frontline spinner after his debut in 2011 and has gone from strength to strength with his bowling.

With his spectacular bowling and trademark celebratory sprint across the pitch, Tahir is an entertainer on the pitch. Even at the age of 38, he is in excellent physical shape and South Africa have an excellent bowling option for the next few years at least.