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{{short description|Indian cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Indian name|Balaji|Lakshmipathy}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Lakshmipathy Balaji
| image = Shubek Gill (right) with L Balaji (left).jpg
|caption=Shubek Gill (right) with L Balaji (left)
| country = India
| internationalspan = 2002–2012
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|09|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| heightft = 6
| heightinch = 2
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm [[fast bowling|fast medium]]
| role = [[Bowler (cricket)|Bowler]]
| international = true
| testdebutdate = 8 October
| testdebutyear = 2003
| testdebutagainst = New Zealand
| testcap = 245
| lasttestdate = 24 March
| lasttestyear = 2005
| lasttestagainst = Pakistan
| odidebutdate = 18 November
| odidebutyear = 2002
| odidebutagainst = West Indies
| odicap = 147
| lastodidate = 8 February
| lastodiyear = 2009
| lastodiagainst = Sri Lanka
| odishirt = 55
| T20Idebutdate = 11 September
| T20Idebutyear = 2012
| T20Idebutagainst = New Zealand
| T20Icap = 43
| lastT20Idate = 2 October
| lastT20Iyear = 2012
| lastT20Iagainst = South Africa
| T20Ishirt = 55
| club1 = [[Tamil Nadu cricket team|Tamil Nadu]]
| year1 = 2001–2016
| club2 = [[Chennai Super Kings]]
| year2 = 2008–2010
| clubnumber2 = 55
| club3 = [[Wellington Firebirds]]
| year3 = 2009
| club4 = [[Kolkata Knight Riders]]
| year4 = 2011–2013
| clubnumber4 = 55
| club5 = [[Kings XI Punjab]]
| year5 = 2014
| clubnumber5 = 55
| columns = 2
| column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
| matches1 = 8
| runs1 = 51
| bat avg1 = 5.66
| 100s/50s1 = 0/0
| top score1 = 35
| deliveries1 = 1,756
| wickets1 = 27
| bowl avg1 = 37.18
| fivefor1 = 1
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 5/76
| catches/stumpings1 = 1/-
| column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| matches2 = 30
| runs2 = 120
| bat avg2 = 12.00
| 100s/50s2 = 0/0
| top score2 = 21[[not out|*]]
| deliveries2 = 1,447
| wickets2 = 34
| bowl avg2 = 39.52
| fivefor2 = 0
| tenfor2 = 0
| best bowling2 = 4/48
| catches/stumpings2 = 11/–
| date = 5 October
| year = 2012
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/26829.html ESPNCricinfo
}}

'''Lakshmipathy Balaji''' (born 27 September 1981) is an Indian cricket coach and former cricketer. He is a right arm [[fast bowling|fast medium]] bowler. He announced his retirement from [[First-class cricket|first-class]] and [[List A cricket|List A]] cricket in November 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/1057328.html|title=L Balaji calls time on first-class, List A career|newspaper=Cricinfo|access-date=2016-11-24}}</ref> He is currently the bowling coach for [[Chennai Super Kings]], his former side in the Indian Premier League.

==Personal life==
Lakshmipathy Balaji was born on 27 September 1981 in [[Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu, India]]. He married former [[Miss Chennai]] beauty pageant Priya Thalur in 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/mumbai/Cricketer-Balaji-marries-model-Priya-Thalur/articleshow/22684050.cms | title=Cricketer Balaji marries model Priya Thalur - Times of India | website=[[The Times of India]] }}</ref>

==International cricket==
Balaji became a member of the [[Indian cricket team]] as Fast Medium bowler in 2003. Playing for his state team since 2001, he made his [[Test cricket|Test]] debut against New Zealand at [[Ahmedabad]] in 2003. He was recognised after his performance in the 2004 India Pakistan series. In that series, he played a significant part in Indian team's historic victories.<ref>[http://specials.rediff.com/cricket/2006/jan/10sld1.htm 'What we thought about Pakistan was wrong']</ref> But after an injury, his [[international cricket]] career was put on hold. He made a comeback in [[Pakistan]]'s 2005 tour of India, taking 5 wickets in the first innings. Injury kept him out of cricket for the next 3 years. Balaji made his return to domestic cricket in 2007. After a strong 2008 domestic season where Balaji was instrumental in helping [[Tamil Nadu]] reach the [[Ranji Trophy]] semifinals, Balaji was called up to the international squad in January 2009 to replace an injured [[Munaf Patel]] who sustained a groin injury.<ref>[http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/slvind2009/content/story/388707.html 'Balaji replaces injured Munaf for SL tour']</ref> Balaji was included in the playing XI for the final match of the series against Sri Lanka.<ref>[http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/nzvind2009/engine/match/386534.html 'India Versus Sri Lanka 2009 5th ODI Scorecard']</ref> India went on to lose the match. Balaji was rested for the subsequent [[Twenty20]] match. In February the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India|BCCI]] announced that Balaji had been dropped from the ODI squad to tour New Zealand but had been selected for the [[test squad]].<ref>[http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/nzvind2009/content/current/story/390602.html 'Dhawal Kulkarni receives maiden call-up']</ref> Thus marking Balaji's return to the test squad after a five-year hiatus having last been part of the test squad in the 2004 series against Pakistan.

On 18 July 2012 he was included in 30 probables for the World T20 tournament to be played in Sri Lanka in September 2012. Subsequently, he was selected in the final 15-member squad. He made his comeback into the Indian side in the second T20 International against New Zealand at his home ground-Chennai.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.wisdenindia.com/yuvraj-included-in-world-t20-probables |title=Yuvraj included in World T20 probables |publisher=Wisden India |date=18 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826015206/http://www.wisdenindia.com/yuvraj-included-in-world-t20-probables |archive-date=26 August 2012 }}</ref>

==Indian Premier League==
Balaji played for the [[Chennai Super Kings]] team in the 1st 3 editions of the IPL starting from the [[2008 Indian Premier League]]. On 10 May 2008, he picked up the first [[Hat-trick (cricket)|hat-trick]] of the IPL tournament in the match against [[Kings XI Punjab]] at [[Chennai]], and rounded off the evening with a match-winning [[five-wicket haul]]. His tournament was to end on a low as he bowled the final over to [[Shane Warne]] and [[Sohail Tanvir]], with the latter hitting the winning runs off the final ball. Since his successful spinal operation in England by Prof. John Dowell he has returned to full form. Balaji has been notably consistent for the economy rate in all T20 matches in the IPL [[Chennai Super Kings]] as the normal matches of T20 seldom had run chases below or near 130 . He has not done much in the batting side of IPL.

In the second season of the [[Indian Premier League]], he picked four wickets against Rajasthan Royals on 30 April 2009, leading the [[Chennai Super Kings]] to victory.

In the 3rd season of IPL, Balaji played 7 games and picked up 7 wickets. After won the tournament and went on to play the ACLT20, Balaji played most of the games in the tournament and his economical bowling was praised by the captain of the Indian team, [[MS Dhoni]] and was listed by him as one of the reasons to CSK's victory in the tournament.

In the [[Indian premier league 2011|fourth season of the IPL]], he was purchased by [[Kolkata Knight Riders]].

In the [[2014 Indian Premier League|seventh season of the IPL]], he was purchased by [[Kings XI Punjab]].

==Coaching career==
He was appointed as bowling coach and mentor for [[Kolkata Knight Riders]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=L Balaji appointed KKR bowling coach|url=https://www.iplt20.com/news/38749/l-balaji-appointed-kkr-bowling-coach#:~:text=Mumbai,%203rd%20January%202017:%20Kolkata,team%27s%20victorious%20campaign%20in%202012.|access-date=2020-08-23|website=www.iplt20.com|language=en}}</ref>

For the 2018 IPL edition, he was appointed as the bowling coach for [[Chennai Super Kings]]<ref>{{Cite web|agency=PTI|date=19 Jan 2018|title=CSK: IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings ropes in Balaji as bowling coach|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/ipl-2018-chennai-super-kings-ropes-in-balaji-as-bowling-coach/articleshow/62569776.cms|access-date=2020-08-23|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
[http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/1057328.html L Balaji calls time on first-class, List A career],<small> 16 September 2016</small>

{{Chennai Super Kings squad}}
{{Tamil Nadu cricket squad}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balaji, Lakshmipathy}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:India Test cricketers]]
[[Category:India One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:India Twenty20 International cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu cricketers]]
[[Category:Tamil sportspeople]]
[[Category:Chennai Super Kings cricketers]]
[[Category:Kolkata Knight Riders cricketers]]
[[Category:South Zone cricketers]]
[[Category:Wellington cricketers]]
[[Category:India Green cricketers]]
[[Category:India Red cricketers]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Chennai]]
[[Category:Indian cricket coaches]]
[[Category:Punjab Kings cricketers]]

Lakshmipathy Balaji - Revision history

UpdateBot at 03:16, 19 May 2022