Basil Thampi

An out and out fast bowler, Basil Thampi is one of those rare talents coming through from Kerala. He can consistently click the 140 mark which caught the attention of the IPL franchises. His ability to hurry top-class batsmen bagged him a contract with the Gujarat Lions in the 2017 IPL. He was snapped by Gujarat for Rs 85 lakhs and by the end of the tournament, the inclusion paid rich dividends not only for the franchise but also for Thampi on a personal front. He finished with 11 wickets in the tournament and also bagged the Emerging Player Award. 

Kerala is not known to produce many international cricketers but Thampi has it in him to make it big. Despite being in the Indian squad on two different occasions, the elusive international cap has still eluded him. His IPL scalps in his first season included the likes Chris Gayle, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Hashim Amla, and Kieron Pollard. 

After playing for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions, Thampi was acquired by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 95 lakhs. However, he had a forgettable season and also registered an unwanted record. In a match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Thampi entered the record books when he ended up giving 70 runs in his 4 overs spell, the most by any bowler in IPL history.His ability to bowl Yorkers on a consistent basis made him an integral part of the Gujarat Lions in the 2017 IPL but he couldn’t quite replicate his form for Hyderabad. He is part of the SRH squad in the ongoing IPL and will look to make a mark if he is handed an opportunity. With a more or less settled bowling line-up, Thampi needs to do something special to break into the XI. 

Just like any other young cricketer from Kerala, Thampi was planning to pursue a job but his then Kerala skipper persisted him to continue cricket and the rest as they say is history. It was on his suggestion that Thampi took up a job in Chemplast which was a cricket nursery. 

Thampi was getting ready to finish his studies and move to the Gulf to get a job. He was representing Kerala at that time and a discussion with his then captain convinced him to continue on the same path as a cricketer and a take up a job at Chemplast, a cricket nursery.

Thampi impressed in his first-class debut for Kerala against Goa. The match ended in a draw but Thampi impressed with his pace bagging 4 wickets in the process. A month earlier, Thampi had made a sensational List A debut with a 6 wicket haul but failed to guide his side to a victory. Thampi has been pretty much on the radar owing to impressive performances in the domestic circuit but given the tough competition in the pace department, Thampi will need to pull something out of his socks to bag that elusive India cap.