5 most underrated cricketers at the moment

International cricket can turn an ordinary player into a superstar with just one special performance. Players who possess extraordinary talent and who are able to convert their potential into big performances often catch people's attention. These players grab all the attention and are often labelled as 'Players to watch out for'.

While the sport is kind to some players, it is cruel to some others.

There are a lot of players who, for some mysterious reason, have failed to achieve the superstardom status. These players might or might not possess any special ability but they keep on churning out performances consistently and produce the goods for their teams more often than not.

Unfortunately, these players remain in the shadow of the star players and their efforts often go unnoticed. Despite being an integral part of their respective teams and doing everything that their teams ask for, they have remained underrated throughout their careers.

Here are five of the most underrated cricketers at present.

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#5 Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis has played quite a few gritty knocks for the Proteas

Faf du Plessis played in the same age group sides as the legendary Ab de Villiers. But unlike Ab de Villiers, who made his debut at a very early age, du Plessis made his international debut at the age of 26 in the year 2011. The right-hand middle-order batsman has played some gritty innings for South Africa, especially in Test cricket.

But unfortunately, he doesn't have the finesse and class that his teammates Ab de Villiers and Hashim Amla have. The 34-year-old's mediocre Test average of 41.27 does not reflect the telling contributions he has made for the Proteas.

His average of 45.12 and strike-rate of 88.58 is a testimony of his versatility as a batsman. Also, amidst the leadership crisis in South African cricket, du Plessis stepped up and has led his country brilliantly.

#4 Ross Taylor

Taylor averaged over 90 in ODIs in 2018

Ross Taylor arrived on the cricket scene way back in the year 2006 as a hard-hitting batsman who was particularly severe on anything on the leg side. Taylor made rapid strides in international cricket and in no time became the mainstay of New Zealand's batting line-up in all formats.

Taylor also led the Kiwis in World Cup 2011 where they reached the semi-final. Brendon McCullum took over the captaincy reigns from Taylor later on, but Taylor continued to be an integral part of the New Zealand cricket setup.

Even when New Zealand was going through a transition phase, the 34-year-old stood as strong as a rock and allowed the young players to settle in the team.

Taylor averages over 45 in Tests and over 47 in ODIs. 2018 was an exceptional year for the right-hand batsman as he scored 639 runs in 11 matches with a stunning average of 91.29. His experience is invaluable to the New Zealand side.

#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar has not been given too many opportunities in Test matches

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the most improved bowlers in world cricket. In the early stages of his career, he was considered to be a bowler who was effective only with the new ball. But he worked really hard on his fitness and increased his pace by a notch.

However, the turning point of his career came while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Bhuvneshwar mastered the art of bowling in the death overs and added the yorker and knuckle ball to his armoury.

But unfortunately, despite performing exceptionally well in the limited opportunities presented to him, the right-arm seamer still hasn't been able to cement a place in the Indian Test side. One can only hope that Bhuvneshwar gets more chances to prove his mettle.

#2 Trent Boult

Boult is one of the most reliable pacers at the moment

When people talk about good fast bowlers of the current generation, the names that normally come up are Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammad Amir and Mustafizur Rahman. One name that often misses out from the list is New Zealand pacer Trent Boult.

Boult has been sensational for the Kiwis across formats and his international record is no less than his fellow contemporary fast bowlers. 233 Test wickets in 59 matches, 129 ODI wickets in 71 matches and 37 T20 wickets in 25 matches, speaks volumes about Boult's pedigree as an all-round bowler.

The 29-year-old has bowled relentlessly for his side in tough subcontinent conditions and has been fairly successful there too. And unlike other fast bowlers, he has been able to be relatively fit which has allowed him to produce the results that he has. But sadly, despite his records, Boult does not get a mention in the list of great fast bowlers.

#1 Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara was the difference between the two sides in the Border-Gavaskar trophy

Being left out of the playing XI because of his inability to play aggressive cricket, IPL snubs and questions about his record on overseas conditions have been the issues faced by Cheteshwar Pujara right throughout his career.

But the technically strong batsman has always fought back and proved all his critics wrong with his sheer determination and has scored heaps of runs in all conditions. Pujara was left out of the playing XI by skipper Virat Kohli due to his low strike-rate. However, he has been India's crisis man in the recent past and has bailed the team out from tricky situations.

Pujara has truly taken over from the legendary Rahul Dravid when it comes to blunting the opposition bowling-attacks. But unfortunately, he has had to fight for his place in the Indian team for most parts of his career.

However, this might change after his superlative performance in the series against Australia where Pujara proved to be the difference between the two sides by ending up being the highest run-getter of the series. Hopefully, this will put a full stop to questions about his technique and place in the Indian team.