The elegant southpaw finally justified the massive price Delhi Daredevils paid ($2.57 million) to secure his unquestionable talent with a delightful, match-winning innings.

His unique skills have been blunted a bit by age and the after-effects of battling cancer, but the 33-year-old proved once again that there is no better sight in cricket than the delightful arc made by his bat when in full flow.

Shunted by the selectors, the architect of India’s 2011 World Cup win is determined to get back into the national side and his 39-ball 55 could be the start of a fairytale comeback.