bowler
| Full name: | Lakshmipathy Balaji |
| Nationality: | India |
| Batting style: | right handed batsman |
| Bowling Style: | right arm medium fast |
| League | Test | Odi | T20i | First class | List a | T20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 8 | 30 | 5 | 106 | 100 | 104 |
| Innings | 15 | 30 | 5 | 167 | 100 | 104 |
| Overs | 292.4 | 241.1 | 16.0 | 3049.5 | 855.1 | 360.1 |
| Balls | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Maidens | 64 | 11 | 0 | 747 | 54 | 5 |
| Runs | 1004 | 1344 | 121 | 8615 | 4257 | 2797 |
| Wickets | 27 | 34 | 10 | 330 | 145 | 126 |
| Avg | 37.18 | 39.52 | 12.1 | 26.1 | 29.35 | 22.19 |
| SR | 65.03 | 42.55 | 9.6 | 55.45 | 35.38 | 17.15 |
| Eco | 3.43 | 5.57 | 7.56 | 2.82 | 4.97 | 7.76 |
| BB | 9 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 5 |
| 4w | 2 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 5 |
| 5w | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 1 |
| 10w | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| League | Test | Odi | T20i | First class | List a | T20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 8 | 30 | 5 | 106 | 100 | 104 |
| Innings | 9 | 16 | 0 | 115 | 52 | 20 |
| Not outs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 17 | 9 |
| Runs | 51 | 120 | 0 | 1201 | 328 | 54 |
| Balls Faced | 126 | 152 | 0 | 0 | 439 | 62 |
| Avg | 5.66 | 12 | 0 | 12.13 | 9.37 | 4.9 |
| SR | 40.47 | 78.94 | 0 | 0 | 74.71 | 87.09 |
| Fours | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 4 |
| Fifties | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sixies | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Highest | 31 | 21 | 0 | 49 | 28 | 15 |
| Hundreds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji has said that he thought Ravindra Jadeja would do some magic while batting against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi. Jadeja scored 22 runs off eight balls and scored 20 runs against Prasidh Krishna in the penultimate over of the match.
Lakshmipathy Balaji was born on 27 September 1981. He is a former cricketer and now works as a coach. He played as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. Balaji represented the Indian cricket team and was part of the squad that reached the final of the 2004 Asia Cup.
His international career started in November 2002 when he played his first One Day International against the West Indies. In October 2003, he made his Test debut against New Zealand. Balaji played 8 Test matches, taking 27 wickets, and featured in 30 ODIs, where he claimed 34 wickets. He also played 8 T20 internationals for India.
Balaji was part of the Chennai Super Kings from 2008 to 2010. He helped the team win the 2010 IPL and the Champions League Twenty20 in the same year. Later, he played for Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2013, winning the 2012 IPL. In 2014, he played for Kings XI Punjab.
After retiring from cricket in 2016, Balaji began working as a coach. He became the bowling coach for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017. In 2018, he moved to Chennai Super Kings as their bowling coach. He resigned from this role in 2022, but he continued working with the Super Kings Academy.
As of February 2025, Balaji is the head coach of the Tamil Nadu cricket team.
On March 29, 2008, Balaji joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Balaji had a successful career in the IPL, playing for Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Kings XI Punjab. He made history in 2008 by taking the first-ever hat-trick in the tournament and won the Man of the Match award for his five-wicket haul.
|
Year |
Team |
Notes |
|
2008 |
Chennai Super Kings |
Hat-trick in May, 5 wickets, Man of the Match award. |
|
2009 |
Chennai Super Kings |
16 matches, 13 wickets, 4 runs. |
|
2010 |
Chennai Super Kings |
IPL winner, 18 runs, 7 wickets. |
|
2011 |
Kolkata Knight Riders |
4 runs, 10 wickets in 14 matches. |
|
2012 |
Kolkata Knight Riders |
IPL winner, 11 wickets in 15 matches. |
|
2013 |
Kolkata Knight Riders |
9 runs, 12 wickets in 15 matches. |
|
2014 |
Kings XI Punjab |
1 run, 12 wickets in 9 matches. |
Lakshmipathy Balaji was born on September 27, 1981, in Chennai. He began his cricket career in 1999 with Tamil Nadu Under-19s. His debut in first-class cricket came in 2001, where he took five wickets against Goa. This performance caught the attention of the selectors and earned him a place in the India A team in 2002. Later that year, he made his ODI debut against the West Indies.
Balaji's domestic cricket career was successful. In the 2002-03 season, he took 48 wickets, helping Tamil Nadu reach the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy. His strong performance earned him a place in the Indian Test team in 2003 against New Zealand.
Despite injuries that affected his career, Balaji continued to perform well. He made his List A debut in 2001-02 and his T20 debut in 2008 for Chennai Super Kings. He played for several IPL teams, including Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Kings XI Punjab. In 2010, he helped Chennai Super Kings win the IPL and the Champions League Twenty20.
Balaji struggled with a back injury in 2004, which sidelined him for some time. However, he returned to the game and continued playing. His skill in swinging the ball and using the short ball made him effective, even in difficult conditions for fast bowlers in India.
Balaji retired after his last domestic match in 2015. He left behind a legacy of dedication, hard work, and a positive attitude toward the game.
Lakshmipathy Balaji achieved a lot in his cricket career. He played for India and in domestic tournaments like the IPL.
Lakshmipathy Balaji has had a colorful and challenging journey, both on and off the cricket field. His personal life includes his family, achievements, and some public challenges that have shaped his image.
Lakshmipathy Balaji has built up a net worth of around $5 million by 2024. This wealth comes from his time as a cricketer, advertising contracts, and other business opportunities he has taken on throughout his career.
Lakshmipathy Balaji was born on September 27, 1981, in Madras, Tamil Nadu. He married Priya Thalur in 2013. His father is Lakshmipathy, and his mother’s name is Mallika. He has two sisters, Padmini and Vijayalakshmi. His uncle, L. Balaji, has also had a notable connection to cricket.
In 2005, Lakshmipathy Balaji faced a serious back injury that nearly ended his career. The injury kept him away from cricket for more than a year, which was a major setback for him. Another well-known incident in his career involved a confrontation with Shoaib Akhtar, a tough competitor. Balaji managed to score 10 runs in 6 balls during a match, including a strong shot off Akhtar’s delivery. He also spoke about the racism and bullying he faced in his career. Balaji has often mentioned the discrimination that still exists in different areas of life, making his words important for fans and the cricketing world.
Balaji is widely loved by fans, who appreciate his skill with the ball and his trademark smile. He has a loyal following, as his fans admire both his performance on the field and his humble, likeable personality. Though his social media presence may not be very active, his fans continue to support him, and he remains a popular figure in the cricket world.
