Cricket is India's most popular sport, without a doubt. Furthermore, it is currently the world's second most popular sport. And some of the game's finest players have earned unique positions in the hearts of cricket lovers. Several cricketers from Kerala have been remarkable, and many have shown amazing talent. Kerala is not a well-known location on the global map, particularly in cricket. It has, however, delivered very few cricketers who have gone on to represent India. Here is the list of the top 10 cricketers from Kerala:
1. Sanju Samson
This name can catch you off guard. Sanju Samson is a household name for a few months out of the year. Samson has been a vital Indian player for whichever side he has played for in the Indian Premier League (IPL) every summer in India. He has only appeared in one international match for India, a T20I in 2015. During India's 2015 tour, the right-handed wicket-keeper batsman played the second T20I against Zimbabwe. He bowled a slow 24-ball 19 and was never given another chance. However, the Trivandrum-born wicketkeeper has been a regular in the IPL. He debuted in the IPL in 2013 and has since appeared in 81 games. Although common in the IPL and possesses considerable talent, he has only appeared in one international match.
2. Sachin Baby
In the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy, Sachin made his first-class debut for Kerala on November 3, 2009. In the 2010-11 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made his List A debut for Kerala on February 13, 2011. In the 2011-12 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he made his Twenty20 debut for Kerala on October 16, 2011. Sachin was selected Kerala's captain and scored his first first-class century with an unbeaten 200. Rajasthan Royals signed him before the 2013 Indian Premier League season. He didn't get much chance to bat in the four matches he played for the team. RCB selected him in the 2016 auction. He only played 11 games during the season, scoring 119 runs at a 29.75 average. The Royal Challengers Bangalore purchased Sachin in the IPL auction in February 2021, ahead of the 2021 Indian Premier League.
3. Basil Thampi
In the 2017 Indian Premier League, he made his IPL debut with Gujarat Lions and was named "Emerging Player of the Season." During the Indian team's four-match Test series against Australia in February–March 2017, Thampi was a net bowler. He was purchased by the Mumbai Indians in the super auction for the 2022 IPL season in February 2022. Against the Delhi Capitals, he made his Mumbai Indians debut. In his MI debut, he took three wickets, but the game was lost. On February 6, 2015, Thampi made his first-class appearance for Kerala in the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy. In the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was Kerala's joint-highest wicket-taker, with eight wickets from six matches.
4. Vishnu Vinod
In the domestic game, Vishnu Vinod is noted for his six-hitting skill. On 3 April 2014, he made his Twenty20 appearance for Kerala vs. Karnataka in the 2014-15 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season. On 10 November 2014, he made his List A appearance against Hyderabad in the 2014-15 Vijay Hazare Trophy season in Kerala.
He made his first-class century against Madhya Pradesh in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, batting 193 off 282 balls. He was Kerala's leading run-scorer in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 508 runs from eight matches and an average of 63.50, including three hundred. Vishnu made an unbroken 100 and formed a record-breaking seventh-wicket partnership of 174 runs with Sijomon Joseph in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Maharashtra in December 2021, winning the victory for Kerala. The Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased him in the bidding for the 2022 Indian Premier League competition in February 2022.
5. Kn Ananthapadmanabhan
Arguably the best genius to ever emerge from Kerala. Unfortunately, the leg-career spinner's collided with that of Anil Kumble, making gaining a spot in the zone team a difficult task. With a five-wicket haul against Pakistan in Kochi, he earned national fame for dismissing Saeed Anwar, Inzamam, and Yousuf Youhana (Mohd Yousuf) to achieve national glory.
6. KM Asif
On January 12, 2018, he made his Twenty20 debut for Kerala in the 2017–18 Zonal T20 League. With five wickets from two games, he was Kerala's combined wicket-taker. With 14 wickets from seven matches, he emerged as Kerala's joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy, he played his first-class debut for Kerala on December 9, 2019. In January 2018, he was signed by CSK in the 2018 IPL auction. After Deepak Chahar's injury, he got his IPL debut against Delhi Daredevils that season. In the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League, he was again acquired by the Chennai Super Kings in February 2022.
7. Sandeep Warrier
On November 24, 2012, Sandeep Warrier made his first-class debut for Kerala vs Goa. He was chosen as one of five net bowlers in India's Test squad for the series against England in January 2021. He was picked as one of five net bowlers for India's trip to Sri Lanka in June 2021. Warrier was promoted to India's main squad for their final two Twenty20 International (T20I) tour matches after a positive argument for COVID-19 in the Indian team. On July 29, 2021, he made his T20I debut for India against Sri Lanka.
8. T. N. Krishna Chandran
Krishna has appeared in twelve One Day Internationals, including five World Cup matches. When he was picked in their team for the Asian Cricket Council Premier League competition in May 2014, he became the first Keralite to play for the UAE. He came to the region from India in 2010, and his cricket experience helped him obtain a job.
Krishna Chandran, a middle-order batsman, and medium bowler, played for Mahaveer Jain College in Bangalore before progressing through Kerala age-group teams from U-19 to U-25. In the 2007-08 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he played a couple of games for the whole team, but since he didn't get any more chances, he moved to the UAE in 2010.
9. Tinu Yohannan
Tinu Yohannan was the first Kerala-born player to represent India in international cricket. He was the son of former Indian athlete T.C. Yohannan, who represented the country in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada. In the late 1990s, the MRF Pace Foundation had a right-arm medium pacer. In a Test match at Mohali, he made his international debut against England. On his debut, he snatched the England openers for 2/75. After his debut, he only played two Tests and finished with five wickets in three. In his first ODI game against the West Indies in Bridgetown in May 2002, he had the best figures of 3/33. He only appeared in six international competitions, although he took ten wickets at an average of 37.79.
10. S Sreesanth
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth is the most well-known Kerala-born cricketer to have represented India internationally. The fast bowler, born in Kothamangalam, was a member of the side that won two ICC World Championships, the World T20 in 2007 and the ICC World Cup in 2011.
In his 5-year international career, Sreesanth played 27 Test matches, 53 ODIs, and 10 T20Is. Before becoming embroiled in a spot-fixing controversy during the IPL in 2013, the right-arm bowler continued to play domestic cricket and the IPL in an attempt to make a return. Sreesanth last played competitive cricket in May 2013, after the BCCI banned him from all forms of cricket for life.
