Colin Ingram

One of those shining talents that couldn't go the distance in international cricket, Colin Ingram's story can be summed up as a man who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. A lethal striker of the ball, he grew up through the age group system with a reputation of being a fearless batsman who could give the ball a real whack. A First-class debut beckoned in 2004-05 at the age of 19 and he impressed instantly. A left-handed stroke maker is always a delight to watch and Ingram was no different although his game titled a bit more towards power than grace and timing. Nevertheless, he did possess the southpaw elegance in his shots.

The 2009-10 season turned out to be the breakthrough phase that Ingram was looking for, as he excelled both in the First-class as well as in List A cricket. Adding to this was his prowess in the shortest format of the game as shone in the first-ever Champions League T20 tournament held in 2010. Debuts in ODIs as well as T20Is for South Africa followed within a month and Ingram started with a bang in 50-overs cricket, racking up two centuries in his first five innings including one on debut. He was picked the 2011 World Cup as well but his form started dipping after the initial fizz.

Ingram's international career started to go downhill due to his inconsistent performances. A major reason that could be mentioned for this was the constant shuffling of his batting position. He hardly got a stable slot to bat at and whenever it came, the role would be of an opener - something he wasn't comfortable in at all. The presence of more established performers in the South African side and the heavy competition meant that he had no choice. By the 2012-13 season, he more or less faded out from the selectors' radar. Frustrated at the lack of backing, he decided to sign a Kolpak deal in 2015 for Glamorgan - a move that was to change his career graph in a big way.

The Glamorgan deal was followed by leadership duties and Ingram rose to the challenge with aplomb. His initial season was fairly good and that was followed by a knee injury in 2016. It seemed like the break would hinder his form and progress but Ingram returned stronger than before. Both in 2016 and 2017, he was in stunning form in Natwest T20 Blast as well as in the Royal London One-Day cup. He topped the run charts in the latter during both years while his T20 form also spiked with over 500 runs in 2016 and a fine 2017 season that was capped by two centuries.

Apart from his batting, Ingram has also improved his part-time leg spin which has proved handy quite a lot for Glamorgan. During his initial days, he was a reluctant bowler and wasn't much effective either. However, as they say, when things are going your way, everything just seems to click. Ingram's redemption post his Kolpak deal has made him an attraction for T20 leagues across the globe. He barely played any matches in the IPL back in 2010 but the 2017-18 BBL season will see him showing his wares for the Adelaide Strikers. More T20 leagues might show their interest in him, should he continue in the same vein.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan