3 milestones Sreesanth might have achieved had his career not been derailed ft. most T20 World Cup wickets by an Indian pacer
Former Indian cricketer Sreesanth celebrates his 41st birthday on Tuesday, February 6. Born in Kothamangalam, Kerala, Sreesanth was known for his dynamic presence on the field and his eventful career both in cricket and beyond. He made a significant contribution during his international career, which spanned over six years.
Sreesanth, of course, is one of those few Indian players who had the opportunity to lift both the ODI World Cup (2011) and the T20 World Cup (2007).
The right-arm pacer's journey, however, was marked by triumphs as well as controversies. Sreesanth was known for his pace and ability to swing the ball, and he had the potential to achieve significant milestones in his career.
However, his involvement in off-field issues and the subsequent ban from cricket impacted his ability to reach his full potential.
In this article, we take a hypothetical look at three of those milestones that Sreesanth might have accomplished had his career not been derailed.
#3 Indian pacer with most Test wickets vs South Africa
From his famous bat twirl after hitting Andre Nel for a six to his vicious bouncer to Jacques Kallis, Sreesanth had a vigorous rivalry with South Africa.
The Kerala-born pacer always did well against the Proteas and enjoyed a great success, taking 40 of his international wickets against them.
Sreesanth's career-defining spell also came against South Africa in 2006, where he ripped through their batting order, taking 5/40 to bowl the hosts out for a mere 83. This led India to their first-ever Test win in South Africa.
In total, he took 31 wickets across just six Test matches at an average of 33.70 against the Rainbow Nation. Sreesanth last featured in a Test versus South Africa in 2011 and missed out on the subsequent series in 2013 and in 2015.
Had Sreesanth played across those series against South Africa, he might have surpassed Javagal Srinath's record of being the Indian pacer with the most Test wickets against South Africa. Srinath took 64 wickets after playing 13 Tests and bowling in 25 innings against the Proteas.
#2 Joint-second-fastest Indian pacer to complete 100 Test wickets
One of the major highlights of Sreesanth's bowling was his ability to channelize his emotions into every delivery. His aggressive run-up, fiery stares, and passionate celebrations were as much a part of his game as his swing and pace.
While his natural style leaned towards aggression, he understood the nuances of Test cricket and adjusted his approach accordingly.
Overall, Sreesanth went on to play 27 Test matches and bowled across 50 innings. In those games, he accumulated 87 Test wickets at a great average of 20.19.
Had Sreesanth played another game and gone on to take 13 wickets, he would've definitely become the-then joint-second-fastest Indian pacer to complete 100 Test scalps alongside Irfan Pathan, who took 28 Tests to complete the feat.
Before 2021, Kapil Dev was the fastest Indian pacer to achieve the landmark, as he took 25 Tests to garner his first 100 Test wickets.
As of today, Jasprit Bumrah holds the record, as he took just 24 Tests to complete his 100 Test wickets in 2021.
#1 Most T20 World Cup wickets by Indian pacer
Sreesanth's famous catch of Misbah-ul-Haq to seal India's win at the T20 World Cup 2007 undoubtedly cemented its place among the most iconic moments in Indian cricket history.
Apart from the catch, Sreesanth even contributed to India's success during the tournament as he claimed six wickets at an incredible economy rate of 7.95.
Unfortunately, his T20I career was cut short due to the 2013 spot-fixing scandal. Had he continued, he could have potentially achieved even more in the T20 arena.
If Sreesanth gone on to enhance his white-ball game furthermore, he might have played a couple of T20 World Cups, in 2014 and in 2016.
Although Irfan Pathan maintains the record for most T20 World Cup wickets taken by an Indian bowler (16 wickets), Sreesanth might have broken the record if he had participated in more games in the prestigious competition.