Rory Burns is a rare gritty batsman in the modern era with a never-say-die attitude. In the age of cricketers who turn sloggers in the name of positive cricket, Burns has the dogged resistance of a classical opener. With a compact defence, a well-judged leave, and the instinct of not trusting the cricket ball, he also has a formidable attacking game which blends in perfectly with his defence in that it is an extension of his defensive technique. Burns got a shot at the Championship side when he was 21, and he promptly scored a pivotal hundred in a cliffhanger of a win against Middlesex and helped his county slip a division. A Surrey veteran, Burns has crossed the coveted 1000-run mark for his county for four successive seasons and continues to be a pivotal member of the team as well as the deputy skipper. Burns' was at the peak of his powers in 2017 on a flat Oval wicket, averaging almost 50 but was overshadowed by the colossal feats of the Bradmanesque Sangakarra and English opener Mark Stoneman. His solitary century turned into a daddy 219* over 600 minutes, but unfortunately lacking any context in a high-scoring draw against Hampshire. Due to his by-the-book approach, he has had limited chances in the shorter formats, despite his attempts to adapt with more inventive shots. His part-time wicketkeeping is extremely safe as well, ticking yet another box in his jack-of-all-trades resume. Burns made the news when he had a hazardous accident on the field - a collision with team-mate Moises Henriques during a NatWest T20 Blast fixture in 2015. The players fell unconscious upon impact and they were both rushed to the hospital immediately with Henriques cracking open his jaw and Burns cutting himself near his left eye. Both were heavily concussed. He made his comeback during the Colchester Festival against Essex with a 158 and exhibited no long-term side-effects of the accident. He then went on a rampant streak of 76, 95, 24, 42, 92, 23, 50, 56 and 30 to hand Surrey the championship, in an emotional moment for the fans as the county’s most respected veteran had made a fairy tale comeback from a horrific injury to deliver a win. By Rishi Roy