Mandeep Singh

Mandeep Singh's father, an athletics coach, did not approve of his son's cricketing ambitions. But what can you do when your son becomes one of the leading young batsmen in the country and goes on to be appointed India Under-19s vice-captain in the 2010 World Cup?

A hard-hitting, top-order batsman, Mandeep made his first-class debut for Punjab later that year, and treated himself to an unbeaten fifty in his very first innings. He became one of the mainstays of the Punjab batting line-up before the age of 25. At the end of the 2015-16 first-class season, Mandeep had 10 centuries, including a double-ton, and averaged over 40.

The IPL also helped Mandeep's evolution. Playing for Kings XI Punjab, he was named the tournament's "Rising Star" in 2012, but struggled to find consistency thereafter. Royal Challengers Bangalore claimed his services in the 2015 season, and he had one of his finest moments when he struck Andre Russell for successive sixes in a ten-over shoot out against Kolkata Knight Riders. His unbeaten 45 off 18 balls sealed a chase of 112 with two balls to spare.
ESPNcricinfo staff