3 legendary Indian pacers whose careers were destroyed by injuries

Team India has always been known for producing some of the greatest batsmen in history. But history suggests that some great bowlers from this country have also proven their worth at the highest level. However, India is known for producing spinners, but there have been a few good pacers who have emerged.

Being a pacer in sub-continent conditions is a tough task, and that too when you have to play in all three formats. That's why we are witnessing a number of pacers getting injured and taking a lot of time to recover. Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah is the prime example of that. Bumrah, who has achieved a lot of success across all formats, sustained a knee injury and is finding it hard to recover.

Some media reports confirmed that it might take him another six months to be completely fit to go. However, history suggests that such cases have ruined the careers of some great Indian pacers. And in this article, we will cover the list of pacers whose careers have been ruined by injuries.

3. Ashish Nehra

An Indian left-arm pacer is a rare breed. You can find a right-armer very easily but a left-armer is a hard to find by. However, when Ashish Nehra came onto the scene in February 1999 at the age of 20, he impressed everyone. He was a key member of the Indian team in the 2000s under Sourav Ganguly. But his injury-prone body didn't allow him to play for very long. In fact, Nehra played his last T20I for India in November 2017 against New Zealand. But in this 18-year-long career, he only played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 27 T20Is, taking 44, 157, and 34 wickets, respectively.

2. Irfan Pathan

After Kapil Dev, India always lacked a seam-bowling all-rounder. But that search ended when Irfan Pathan came onto the scene in December 2003, playing his first game for India. With his batting ability, he quickly drew the attention of everyone and was given more opportunities at the top of the order. He became the go-through bowler for India, who can bat anywhere. But he suffered a few injuries, which resulted in a decrease in his swing and pace. He was never the same bowler he was in his early days after injuries. Pathan himself accepted that injuries cut short his glorious career. He played 29 tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is in his career.

1. Zaheer Khan

 A true Indian cricket fan knows what Zaheer Khan brought to the table when he was part of the Indian team. He was probably the best Indian pacer of the last two decades for India. But despite all the success he had, he used to sustain a lot of injuries. Zaheer was the spearhead of the Indian bowling lineup from 2000 to 2010. The left-armer played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs, and 17 T20Is, picking up 311, 282 and 17 wickets in his career.