Cricket in India is just not watched or loved, it is worshiped. No matter what age we are, everyone in us still plays cricket at some point in our lives. We, as a country, have seen a lot of the greatest players ever to play for our country, starting with C.K. Nayudu, to now, Shubman Gill, the price of cricket. When we look at the Indian ICC Hall of Fame Cricketers, MS Dhoni is the most recent player added to the list.
With the retirement of legends such as Virat Kohli and Rohit from test cricket, it is time for the young guns to step up. Shubman Gill is named as the test captain of the Indian Cricket Team. He will obviously want to write his own legacy and add his name to the ICC Hall of Fame once he says goodbye to the game.
Indian ICC Hall of Fame Cricketers
The following list involves the players from both the men’s and women’s teams. The ICC has awarded eleven Indian Players with the Hall of Fame award.
Sachin Tendulkar (1989 – 2013)
The discussion has to start with Sachin Tendulkar when we talk about cricket. After making his debut at 16, the kid had the spark in him to take on the fast bowlers without any fear.
Sachin has scored the most international runs, crossing the 34,000 run mark. He also holds the record for the most international centuries, 100. Sachin is called the “God of cricket.”
Sunil Gavaskar (1971 – 1987)
Eventually, Sunil Gavaskar made every Indian batter believe and made them show how runs can be scored overseas. He made his debut in 1971 against the threatening West Indies team.
Sunil Gavaskar became the first player to cross 10,000 runs in Test cricket. For his immense contribution to Indian cricket, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri.
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Kapil Dev (1978 – 1994)
He was the first person to believe that India could win the World Cup. Kapil Dev’s commitment and belief are among the reasons for India’s World Cup win in 1983. The fast bowling all-rounder made his debut in 1978 against Pakistan.
He has a total of 434 wickets in test cricket, and how can we forget his 175* runs innings in the semi-final of the 1983 World Cup. Surely, that is one of the best innings ever seen in the World Cup.
MS Dhoni (2004 – 2019)
Calm and Composed is what defines Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the field of cricket. He is the recent Indian player added to the ICC Hall of Fame. His innings in the 2011 World Cup final was just out of this world.
He helped India win the World Cup after 28 years and fulfilled Sachin Tendulkar’s incomplete dream. Padma Bhushan, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, and ICC Spirit of Cricket Award are some of the awards he has received.
Anil Kumble (1990 – 2008)
With more than 900 wickets for India in both Test cricket and ODIs, Anil Kumble was surely one of the best bowlers in the world in his time. He holds the record for the most test wickets by an India, 619 wickets.
His 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan in 1999 is one of the iconic moments in the history of the game. Kumble’s commitment to the game was something different, as he once played with a broken jaw.
Rahul Dravid (1996 – 2012)
Dravid made his test debut against England at the historic Lord’s, where he scored 95 runs. One of the players who witnessed India’s iconic victories at Adelaide and Headingley and played an important part in them.
With more than 13,000 runs and 36 centuries, Dravid was the most reliable batsman in his team. Basically, it was very tough for any bowler to break Rahul Dravid’s defence.
Neetu David (1995 – 2008)
She is one of the biggest names in Indian women’s cricket. Netu David holds the record for the biggest bowling figures in women’s test cricket, 8/53. She made her debut in 1995 against South Africa.
There are 141 wickets to her name in ODIs for India. Currently, she is the chief selector for the Indian Women’s cricket team. She is also regarded as the pioneer of Indian women’s spin bowling.
Bishan Bedi (1966 – 1979)
One of the proper Classical left-arm orthodox spinners, who was most effective for his team. Bishan Bedi made his international debut in 1966 against the mighty West Indies.
During his international career, Bedi has picked up a total of 266 wickets and was an important part of India’s historic spin attack, which included Chandrasekhar, Prasanna, and Venkataraghavan.
Vinoo Mankad (1946 – 1959)
Basically, many of you won’t know who Vinoo Mankad was, as he made his test debut in 1946 against England. He was the first Indian player to reach the 1000 runs mark and also pick up 100 wickets. His record of scoring 210 runs and picking up eight wickets in a test match is surely hard to break.
Also Check: Greatest Cricketers in ICC Hall of Fame in 21st Century
Eventually, the dismissal is called Mankading, in which if the non-striker is out of the crease and the ball touches the fingertips of the bowler and hits the stumps, the non-striker is given out. It was named after him.
Diana Edulji
She is currently a Member of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) for BCCI reforms. Diana Edulji made her debut in 1976. She had a long 14-year career where she also captained the Indian Women’s Team in both test and ODI matches.
Basically, she is an icon of Indian women’s cricket and also a role model for many. Diana Edulji has also been honored with a Padma Shri.
Virender Sehwag (1999 – 2015)
Surely one of the most fiery batsmen that we have ever seen. Sehwag has changed the way of batting; his attacking approach has made a lot of teams worry.
He played an important role in India’s World Cup 2011 as he gave a significant contribution in almost every game by scoring rapid runs in the power play. Sehwag holds the record for scoring the fastest triple century in test cricket.
