Almost every Indian
you meet will admit to having an intense love affair with cricket. Emotions run
high during every match. A win will see people spilling out on the streets and
celebrating with the entire neighbourhood. A loss, however, breaks millions of
Indian hearts. Cricket has often been likened to a religion in the country and
these are the 11 legends who have made the game what it is today.
1.Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is
the most distinguished icon in the cricketing world. It’s hard to find any
flaws in his game which has earned him the reputation of being a complete
batsman from fans and colleagues alike. Think of any imaginable record in the
game and you can be sure Tendulkar holds it or has held it at some point in his
career. He made his debut when he was just 16-years-old and throughout his
career has shouldered the dreams of the entire nation, match after match. To
fans of the game around the world, he is known as the God of
Cricket.
2.Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar was
one of the greatest opening batsmen in the history of the game. He was known to
be ruthless against fast bowlers. During the 70s and 80s, when he was at his
peak, Gavaskar set several world records. By scoring 774 runs on his first Test
match, he became the highest debut run scorer. One of his contemporaries, Garry
Sobers, the legendary cricketer for West Indies has called Gavaskar “the
greatest batsman I have come across.”
3.Vijay Hazare
Vijay Hazare
captained India for 14 years between 1951 and 1953. He is acknowledged as one
of the early high-flyers of Indian cricket, setting a benchmark for future
generations. Hazare is best known for his staggering performance against an
indomitable Australian team in the 1947-48 Test series, where he scored a
double century. He held several domestic and international records during his
fruitful career.
4.Kapil Dev
When India won its
first Cricket World Cup in 1983 at Lord’s Cricket
Ground in London, it was Kapil Dev who captained the team to
victory. A fine batsman and a ferocious fast bowler, Dev is considered to be
one of the best all-rounders in the game. He is, after all, the only player to
have scored over 5,000 Test runs and taken over 400 Test wickets.
5.Rahul Dravid
Former national team captain Rahul Dravid, is considered as one of the
most industrious cricketers ever. He is known as a classic Test batsman who was
technically very gifted. Dravid has fondly been called “The Wall” by fans for
his ability to stand firm in crunch situations. His calm persona and winning
approach have helped India achieve seemingly impossible victories.
6.Saurav Ganguly
Saurav Ganguly
possessed a natural knack for leadership which is why he is considered one of
the most successful captains in cricket. He was responsible for instilling
ambition into a somewhat unfocused team when he took over the captaincy in
2000. Ganguly’s batting style was equally superb and he is the only cricketer
to secure four consecutive Man of the Match awards in One Day International
matches.
7.Vinoo Mankad
Vinoo Mankad was an
all-round cricketer having achieved glory as both a batsman and a bowler. His
star performances in Test cricket meant that Mankad scored the fastest ever
1,000 runs and got the fastest ever 100 wickets. In 1956 against England, he
also became the first player to score a century and take five wickets in the
same Test match.
8.Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble was a
spin bowler who took 619 wickets in Test cricket. This staggering number has
earned him the honour of being the highest Test wicket taker in India and the
third highest in the world. Kumble has always displayed unflinching commitment
to the game. A fine example of this was on display in 2002 in Antigua. He had
broken his jaw during the match but instead of leaving the pitch, he decided to
bandage the injury and went on to perform outstandingly for the team.
9.Virender Sehwag
A batsman blessed
with incredible style and swagger, Virender Sehwag was always a delight to
watch on the cricket field. Test cricket, which is played over five days, is
when players prefer using calm and control, but not Sehwag. He would try and
smash every ball regardless of what cricket format he was playing in. No wonder
he holds the record for scoring the fastest triple century in the history of
international cricket.
10.Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Known as Captain
Cool, the Indian cricket team’s list of achievements under Mahendra Singh Dhoni
is unprecedented. He guided India to triumph in two separate formats of cricket
World Cup, winning the 2007 World Twenty20 and the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Leading by example, he was the Man of the Match in the 2011 World Cup final.
Along with being a great batsman, Dhoni is also acknowledged as a leading
wicket-keeper. After Tendulkar, Dhoni is the most-loved cricketer in India.
11.Virat Kohli
Although Dhoni and
Virat Kohli still have not retired from cricket, their names deserve to be
mentioned on this list of legends. Kohli took over the Test captaincy from
Dhoni in 2014 and that of One Day Internationals in 2017 and he has certainly
done his predecessor proud. The swashbuckling Kohli is recognised as one of the
top batsman of this era having pocketed several world records already.
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