It's not until you see her bowl that you realize how much of a fighter Poonam Yadav is. She's quite short and doesn't have an intimidating build either. For a wrist spinner, these attributes aren't necessary too. However, what she has in abundance is courage and temperament, two important qualities needed for a leg spinner. She is in the classical mould, tossing them up invitingly to induce the mishit from batters. The pace at which she bowls further complicates things, as the ball never seems to arrive at all. If you don't use your feet well and don't have quick hands, it's next to impossible to score off Poonam. In the India men's team, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are often known as the spin twins. As surprising as it might sound, Poonam is an amalgam of the two players in terms of craft and bowling style. Her short stature means that she gets the odd delivery to really skid and when she gets the line right, can cause problems for the opposition. Having made her debut for India in the 2013-14 season, Poonam has been a potent wicket-taker for the side since then. She was born in Uttar Pradesh and has represented multiple teams in domestic cricket. At present, she is the most successful T20I bowler for India.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan