Aiden Markram

He did well against tougher opposition as well, making 94 in a comprehensive win over India in Centurion in January 2018 and two big hundreds against Australia in the contentious Sandpapergate series two months later. But overseas success took a while to come - after disappointing tours of India and Sri Lanka, Markram made his first away Test hundred in a second-innings effort in Rawalpindi in February 2021, showing he had the technique to navigate pitches that turned and stayed low. His 108 gave South Africa a fighting chance, but they eventually lost the series 2-0.

A batter of class and composure, aggressive and strong on the off side, Markram did well in limited-overs cricket as well. In 2021, he was South Africa's leading run-maker in ODIs, had a stellar T20 World Cup, and was named the T20I Player of the Year in Cricket South Africa's awards for the year.

- Top-order batter Aiden Markram began his IPL career in 2021, when he was bought by Punjab Kings. He had underwhelming returns, scoring 146 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 122.68.

- His next three years were spent with Sunrisers Hyderabad, whom he captained in the 2023 season. They finished bottom of the table with just four wins from 14 games then.

- Markram was picked up for INR 2 crore ahead of the 2025 season by Lucknow Super Giants, and he had his best season yet with them: he scored 445 runs at an IPL-best strike rate of 148.82, and was retained by LSG ahead of IPL 2026.