If you have been following Indian cricket on social media, you’ve probably noticed that our top five players are all men. This list includes Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Virender Sehwag. These five men have made the sport of cricket a cult in their country. Read on to learn more about them. We’ve also included some of the top players who use social media to get fans and followers.
Sachin Tendulkar
Among all the great batsmen of all times, Sachin Tendulkar stands above the rest. His records against different teams and countries are simply amazing. He scored almost sixteen thousand runs at a batting average of 54 in his 200 Test matches, with fifty one centuries and sixteen fifties. His batting average was over 40 against every team and in every country he played. Those are the reasons why Tendulkar is considered one of the great batsmen of all time, second only to Lord’s.
As a cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar has transcended the sport of cricket in India. He is the face of the nation’s rise to global power. Despite being only sixteen years old when he made his first Test appearance, Tendulkar has developed into an international sensation. This has meant that he has developed finer techniques. His balance is impeccable and his swing is delightful.
Rohit Sharma
India’s Rohit Sharma has been a sensation since his debut in the domestic game. He has been an unstoppable force with the bat, and he led Mumbai Indians to their third Indian T20 title in six years. In the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2013, Rohit Sharma was unbeaten with the bat, and he amassed 648 runs in nine innings, including five centuries. In the past, Rohit Sharma has made a name for himself as an exemplary opener. In fact, he opened for India’s team when they faced Australia, and his partnership with Mayank Agarwal saw him score 16 sixes.
Rohit Sharma’s test batting has been exemplary for the last couple of years, and it is no wonder that he has displaced Virat Kohli in the rankings.
Last year, he scored 674 points and ranked 16th. Today, he is a top 5 India cricketer, with a rating of 773. The only other player in the top five for India is Cheteshwar Pujara, who was the top batsman in November 2017.
MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni’s outstanding batting performance in Tests has earned him the number one spot among all Indian cricketers. In the World Cup final, Dhoni took the bat from specialist Yuvraj Singh and scored 91 runs to help India win. His six-run contribution to the victory was vital as it ensured that India would lift the World Cup trophy. In the ODIs, MS Dhoni is a top five cricketer in India.
Dhoni is the most consistent player in cricket history and has earned more than INR 785 crores (about $ 108 million) in endorsement deals. He is the first Indian wicketkeeper to take 300 ODI catches and is the only wicketkeeper to have 150 stumping dismissals. He also is the youngest Indian to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sports honour in the country.
Virender Sehwag
In 2005, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack ranked Virender Sehwag as the world’s best opening batsman. Sehwag is known for his attacking style of batting. Sehwag’s strike rate is lower than other top openers such as Shahid Afridi and Adam Gilchrist. This has caused bowlers to fancy their chances against the ‘Sehwag Machine’.
Sehwag began playing cricket at an early age, but was not born into the best family. His father, a grain merchant, wanted to stop him from playing cricket, but his mother helped him overcome his father’s objections. The Sehwag family moved to Jamia Milia Islamia in Delhi, where he studied under Amar Nath Sharma. Sehwag’s interest in cricket developed when he was just seven months old. He escaped this ban by convincing his parents that playing cricket was the best thing to do.