Twelve wickets in seven matches at an average of 12.66 runs per wicket. That's Rudra Pratap Singh's statistics in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup.
The 22-year-old from Rae Bareli finished the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker and, needless to say, played a major role in India's triumph.
If that was his breakthrough performance, more was to come in the home series that followed, first against Australia and then Pakistan. 11 wickets in eight matches to be precise.
It is this consistency in taking wickets that has made RP an important player in the Indian camp, despite the fact that he tends to go for runs and his economy rate is 5.24 in 2007.
In 18 ODIs this year, the man whose native village Purebala, lies in UP's Barabanki district (yes, the same place where Amitabh Bachchan bought land in the guise of a farmer), has picked an impressive 24 wickets -- half of what he has taken in his career so far -- at an average of 32.83. Impressive, considering RP didn't play international cricket between October 2006 to June 2007.
The left-arm bowler is equally impressive in the game's longer version, having claimed 18 wickets in five Tests this year, including a career-best 5 for 59 against England at Lord's.
Photograph: Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images
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