Anuj Dal

Anuj Dal, a bustling allrounder, grabbed his chance with the arrival of Mickey Arthur as Derbyshire's head coach. He scored 957 runs - at an average of 73.61 - as well as taking 34 wickets during the 2022 season, leading Arthur to describe him as "the heart and core of Derbyshire County Cricket Club".

Dal grew up through Nottinghamshire's age group sides but was released at the end of 2017. He impressed for Derbyshire's 2nd XI the following summer, making his first-class debut as a concussion substitute at Hove, and won a full contract for 2019 - although his initial progress was steady rather than spectacular. He scored his maiden first-class hundred in 2021, winning a one-year contract extension, before adding three more tons under Arthur's guidance.

Away from the field, Dal was elected as vice-chair of the Professional Cricketers' Association in 2021, and spoke eloquently about his experiences of racism during the parliamentary hearings of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee.
ESPNcricinfo staff