Full name : Lakshmipathy Balaji
Born : Sep 27, 1981 Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Current age : 31 years 236 days
Major teams : India, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Tamil Nadu
Batting style : Right-hand bat
Bowling style : Right-arm medium
For someone who played a crucial role in India’s historic triumph on the 2003-04 tour to Pakistan, Lakshmipathy Balaji has fallen short of expectation. To be fair to the medium-pacer, though, injuries have dogged him consistently since that unforgettable tour where he endeared himself to cricket fans not just with his performances, but with his infectious smile as well.
A stress fracture in the back ruled Balaji out of cricket in 2005, and for three years, he could hardly play any cricket. However, Balaji made a comeback despite the daunting odds and, with a remodeled action, made his presence felt in IPL 2008. Playing in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League, Balaji took 11 wickets for Chennai Super Kings, which included a hat-trick. In recent years, his performances have become even more consistent and he even captained the Tamil Nadu side in the Ranji Trophy.
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | ||
| Tests | 8 | 9 | 0 | 51 | 31 | 5.66 | 126 | 40.47 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| ODIs | 30 | 16 | 6 | 120 | 21* | 12.00 | 152 | 78.94 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 0 | |
| T20Is | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IPL | 64 | 13 | 6 | 35 | 15 | 5.00 | 46 | 76.08 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 0 | |
| CLT20 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mat | Inns | Balls | M | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | ||
| Tests | 8 | 15 | 1756 | 0 | 1004 | 27 | 5/76 | 9/171 | 37.18 | 3.43 | 65.03 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| ODIs | 30 | 30 | 1447 | 0 | 1344 | 34 | 4/48 | 4/48 | 39.52 | 5.57 | 42.55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| T20Is | 5 | 5 | 96 | 0 | 121 | 10 | 3/19 | 3/19 | 12.10 | 7.56 | 9.60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| IPL | 64 | 64 | 1307 | 2 | 1730 | 64 | 5/24 | 5/24 | 27.03 | 7.94 | 20.42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| CLT20 | 12 | 12 | 246 | 1 | 324 | 16 | 4/19 | 4/19 | 20.25 | 7.90 | 15.37 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career statistics | |
| Test debut | v New Zealand, Ahmedabad, 8.10.2003 |
| ODI debut | v West Indies, Ahmedabad, 18.11.2002 |
| T20I debut | v New Zealand, Chennai, 11.09.2012 |
| IPL debut | Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils, Delhi, 08.05.2008 |
| CLT20 debut | Chennai Super Kings v Central Stags, Durban, 11.09.2010 |
State Associations

