Ravi Bopara

An English all-rounder who was known for his versatile approach and unique strokeplay, Ravinder Singh aka Ravi Bopara was a regular in England’s limited-overs setup but sadly couldn’t live up to his potential. 

Bopara started his career to make his first-class debut, playing for Essex’s squad in May 2002. In 2003 and 2004, he played several matches for England U-19s, including in the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup. 

The all-rounder caught the attention of the national selectors in the year 2005-06 when he amassed over 880 runs in first-class cricket. This resulted in his inclusion in England’s senior squad against their arch-rivals Australia. He made his ODI debut on February 2, 2007, and made his mark by picking the sole wicket of Micheal Hussey in a landslide victory against the mighty Aussies. After his ODI debut in 2007, Bopara had to wait six years to get his maiden ODI ton, which came against Ireland in 2013.

Bopara had a disastrous start to his Test career. After scores of eight and 34 in his first two innings against Sri Lanka in December 2007, he made three back-to-back ducks before redeeming himself with three centuries in as many innings against West Indies at home. On the back of a momentous achievement, Bopara was picked by England for the 2008 T20 World Cup and a decent showing secured his spot for the Ashes. He had a horrendous Ashes mustering just 105 runs in seven innings before being dropped from the senior side. The arrival of Eoin Morgan in the longer formats hampered his selection furthermore and in 2012, the London-born all-rounder suffered a thigh tear which saw the last of his Test career.

Fighting back against injury and the naysayers, Bopara made a comeback in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He was the lone fighter in the finals of the ICC mega event against the mighty Indians and though England lost the game, he was in sublime touch and cracked his spot in the playing XI. A consistent run in the limited-overs cricket saw him involved in the 2015 ICC World Cup and a disastrous World Cup showing proved to be the last of Ravi Bopara in England’s shirt.

Stepping down from the international scene, Bopara has been involved in various domestic T20 Leagues around the world. In his last season of IPL in 2019, Bopara played a handful of matches for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a decent IPL show for the veteran. 

His all-round abilities can never be underestimated as he pops up with game-changing performances when one least expects it. 

(As of April 2021)