Vasuki Koushik

Koushik does not fit the usual picture of a fast bowler. He is not built powerfully, he does not depend on raw speed, and a menacing bouncer is not part of his game. Instead, he relies on precision and on his ability to move the ball in either direction.

His breakthrough came through the KPL. In the 2018 season of that competition he took 8 wickets across 6 matches, and his economy rate of 4.67 ranked as the second-best in the league. That tight bowling caught the eye of the Karnataka selectors, who brought him into the state squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament. He repaid their faith by collecting 17 wickets in 10 matches, playing a quiet but important part as Karnataka went on to lift the trophy.

Further opportunities followed in the 2019/20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where Vinay Kumar's move to Puducherry and inconsistent form elsewhere in the pace attack opened the door for him to play several games. Whenever captain Manish Pandey called on him, Koushik delivered. He struck early with the new ball and was equally effective in the closing overs, finishing with 12 wickets from 6 matches at an economy of 3.8. In the final he returned figures of 2/39, helping Karnataka secure another title.