Who are India’s Best Cricket Players?

Cricket is, without a doubt, India’s favorite sport. Though created in Medieval England, today the sport is largely associated with Southeast Asia, in general, but especially with India. For good reason too, as many of the best players, batsmen or bowlers, come from the country.

Over the years, there have been a ton of excellent Indian players who’ve gotten worldwide acclaim in the cricket world. In this article, we’d like to go over some of the best players in cricket, and discuss what makes them great.

India and Cricket

Before we get to the players, however, we would first like to talk about the cultural impact of cricket on India. According to historians, English colonists brought the sport to India. Though the locals were prohibited from playing at first, they would organize their own tournaments, and the game quickly became incredibly popular.

Today, it is the favorite sport of many Indians, whether within or outside the country. Not only do the country’s residents watch it with incredibly zeal, but they also enjoy betting on the sport, both at land-based sportsbooks, and at online betting sites.

Indeed, online sportsbooks have made the whole thing a lot simpler and easier. Not only is it a lot more convenient to access a bookie online, but they also offer bonus codes that will help newbies. For example, the Parimatch promo code is an excellent place to start, if you have never wagered before and are interested in starting out in the betting world.

So, now that we understand the context and popularity of cricket in India, it is time to go over some of the greatest players that made the country famous in the scene. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best Indian cricket players in history.

Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II

For our first entry, we are going back a long way, all the way back to the early 20th century. Kumar Sri Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, or simply Ranji, was an Indian heir, and later, Maharaja, who was sent to study abroad in Cambridge. While there, Ranjitsinhji developed a love for cricket, and tried out for the team.

Due to his late-coming to the sport, Ranji developed his own style, which was unique at the time, but quickly became revolutionary in the world of cricket. Before Ranji, batsmen played forward and made offside shots. Ranji, on the other hand, played on the back foot, taking advantage of the new pitch styles which arose during his time.

His contributions to the Cambridge team and to the game of cricket in general, earned him a knighthood and the moniker of “Father of Indian Cricket.” His revolutionary playstyle changed the game of cricket, not just in India, but worldwide. Of course, nobody deserves a mention on a list of “best cricket players of all time,” more than Ranjitsinhji.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is currently one of the most popular and most well-regarded cricket players in the world. He is the former captain of the Indian national cricket team, who are quite successful according to the ICC rankings. Kohli began his cricket career in youth domestic cricket, before moving on to international cricket in 2008.

A right-handed batsman, Kohli has been acknowledged by his peers, as well as his opponents, as one of the best batsmen living today, and one of the best of all time. He has achieved several records in both Twenty20 International and One Day International events, including the highest run-scorer of all time in T20I. He holds the record for most centuries in ODI as well.

Though he shines as a batsman, Virat Kohli can also, occasionally, take on the role of bowler. While not many regard him as the best bowler, many do view him as a competent, medium-fast bowler, which furthers his status as one of the best Indian players today.

Rohit Sharma

The current captain of the Indian national cricket team, Rohit Sharma, must get a mention on a list like this. Like his predecessor, Sharma is a right-handed batsman, who competes across all major cricket formats. According to fans and experts alike, Sharma is the best batsman of his generation, and one of the best openers of all time.

Unlike Virat Kohli though, Sharma also plays domestic cricket. He is one of the most notable players for the Mumbai Indians, who are, without a doubt, the most successful team in the Indian Premier League. In domestic cricket he represents Mumbai, and is a distinguished player both internationally and domestically.

Speaking of his achievements, it is worth mentioning that Sharma, like Kohli, also holds several batting records. He has the most double centuries in ODI cricket (3), and has also scored the most centuries at the Cricket World Cups, with seven. His most impressive achievement, for sure, is that Sharma is the current record-holder for highest individual score in One Day International Cricket, with 264.

Outside of cricket, Rohit Sharma is also quite well-known for his active and passionate support for animal rights and welfare. He is an active member of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and is WWF-India’s official Rhino Ambassador. His campaigns have earned him the respect of animal-welfare advocates worldwide.

Honorable Mentions

In this final section, we would like to briefly go over a couple of notable players who deserve a mention. For example, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, better-known as M.S. Dhoni, who is without a doubt one of the best batsmen in Indian history.

“Mahi” played in 90 Test Cricket matches, one of the three main cricket formats, 350 One Day International Matches, and close to 100 T20I matches. Over that time, he managed to score incredible runs, and go down in history as one of the best players of all time.

Virender Sehwag is another of the most well-known, well-liked, and successful cricket players. “Viru” as he was known, played in 104 Test Matches, and managed to score over 8000 runs, and in 250 ODI matches with a score of 8273 runs. With a track-record like that, he deserves a mention as one of the best players in Indian cricket history.