A tall, lanky left arm fast bowler, Reece Topley burst onto the scene at a young age with his impressive skill and control. Despite representing England in both One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals, persistent injuries have meant he has spent more time sidelined than on the field. Standing at 6 feet 7 inches, Topley began his professional career with Essex, following in the footsteps of his father, Donald Topley. He made an immediate impact, taking 14 wickets in his first three first-class matches, including five-wicket hauls against Middlesex and Kent. His early success earned him selection for the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Australia, where he finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 19 wickets at an average of around nine. His rapid development saw him included in the England Lions squad for the tour of Australia. After claiming 80 wickets across all formats for Essex during the 2013 season, Topley was inducted into England’s Performance Programme. However, his progress was stalled by injury, forcing him to miss the tour of Sri Lanka. After regaining fitness, Topley was selected for England’s ODI and T20I squads against Australia in 2015. He made his international debut in Manchester and impressed early, taking 3 for 26 against Pakistan in just his second match. In his first full international series in South Africa, he collected 10 wickets in five games, but that series proved to be his last England appearance for several years. With Essex unable to accommodate his recurring injury concerns and Topley seeking greater opportunities, the two parted ways. He joined Hampshire, a county renowned for its strength in limited-overs cricket. Unfortunately, his time there was again hampered by injury. A broken bone in his right hand, caused by a bouncer from Boyd Rankin in 2016, ruled him out for the season, while a back stress fracture the following year limited him to just 112 overs across all formats. By the age of 24, doubts were raised about his long-term future. Topley responded with determination, earning selection for the England Lions squad in a tri-series against India A and West Indies A, where he took eight wickets. However, another back issue curtailed his momentum once again. In October 2018, Topley and Hampshire mutually agreed to part ways. Sussex offered him an opportunity during the 2018–19 winter, allowing him to rehabilitate at Hove. He repaid their faith by taking 17 wickets in the T20 campaign. Despite Sussex’s desire to retain him, Surrey secured his signature, becoming his fourth county. In 2020, Topley made his return to international cricket, featuring in an ODI against Ireland after more than four years away. The year 2022 marked a strong resurgence in Topley’s career. He excelled in white-ball cricket, recording the best ODI figures by an England bowler with 6 for 34 against India at Lord’s. However, injury struck again on the eve of the T20 World Cup when he rolled his left ankle during a fielding drill, rupturing his ligaments and ruling him out of the tournament. Topley was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for 1.9 crore at the 2023 IPL auction and made his debut against Mumbai Indians. Unfortunately, he dislocated his left shoulder while fielding in that match and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Despite these setbacks, Topley was named in England’s squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. Although a late injury denied him participation in the previous T20 World Cup, he successfully came through the ODI World Cup warm-up matches without injury, underlining his resilience and perseverance.
