Top 20 Greatest Indian Cricket Players of All Time

Cricket is the most popular sport in India. It’s followed like a religion in the country. India has produced many of the best cricketers in the sport. With this much following and popularity of the sport, the biggest question that comes up is who’s the best Indian cricket player? 

Answering this is not easy as to find the best Indian cricket player we’ll have to consider quite a few things like total impact, contribution, career performance and some other things. Today we’ll try to find out who’s the best cricketer in India. 

India’s population is over 1.4 billion and more than 50% of people in India follow cricket. Cricket is a global sport and more than 50% of the following is from India. It’s fair to say that India is the powerhouse in cricket. India’s T20 franchise cricket league; the Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most followed sporting leagues in the world. 

The Indian cricket team is one of the best in the sport. India has won the cricket World Cup twice (1983 and 2011), they’ve won the T20 World Cup in 2007 and 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. India is ranked 1 in the ICC ODIs and T20I rankings and number 3 in the test rankings. 

All this is because of the top-quality players that India produces. Talking about the best, here are some of the best cricketers from India: Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and many more. Let’s take a look at the 20 best Indian cricket players. 

Best Indian cricket players in international cricket 

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is the highest run-scorer for India and in international cricket. He has 34,357 runs in 782 innings at an average of 48.52 with 100 hundreds and 164 fifties to his name. He also has 201 wickets to his name across formats at an economy of 4.55. Sachin is called as the ‘God of cricket’ by the fans and he was arguably the first ‘superstar’ cricket player in India. Many also rate him as the best batter in the cricket history.

He has numerous records to his name in International cricket and Sachin inspired a generation to pick up a bat and dream of becoming a cricketer for India. Even Virat Kohli has said that he started playing cricket because of him. Sachin, inarguably, is one of the greatest cricketers of all time. 

2. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is currently one of the best batters in international cricket and arguably the best batter from India. He has 27,342 runs in international cricket in 610 innings at an impressive average of 52.34. Virat has 81 centuries and 141 fifties to his name across all three formats. 

Many fans rate Virat Kohli as a better batter than Sachin Tendulkar while many argue that Sachin scored runs against better quality bowlers and difficult conditions for batting. All the arguments aside, Virat Kohli has also inspired the younger generation with his excellent performances for India. 

3. MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is another big name in Indian cricket. He is without any doubt the best captain India has ever had in international cricket. India won the ICC World Cup (2011), T20 World Cup (2007) and the Champions Trophy (2013) under the leadership of MS Dhoni. He’s hailed as the best finisher in cricket history and is one of the best wicket-keeper batters to have ever played the game. 

Dhoni has scored 17,092 runs in international cricket at an average of 44.74 including 15 hundreds and 108 fifties to his name in 523 innings. Dhoni has over 10,000 runs in ODI cricket which is a great feat considering that he played in the lower middle-order throughout his international career. Dhoni’s impact and contribution to Indian cricket are immense as he’s helped India win tournaments and titles in cricket. The former Indian captain has also won 5 IPL titles for the Chennai Super Kings which further shows his skill as a captain. 

4. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is currently playing for India in international cricket but many experts and fans hail him as the greatest bowler ever in cricket history. This is purely because of the impact he has with the ball. Bumrah is inarguably the best bowler India has ever produced. He is super consistent and can win games from any situation. Bumrah is equally consistent in all three formats of the game and there’s no doubt that he’s currently the best bowler in world cricket. 

Bumrah has played 204 international matches in his career so far and has picked up 443 wickets in 243 innings. His bowling average is just 20.46 and has an unbelievable economy of just 3.69. The right-arm pacer is the best at the moment and will finish as one of the greatest and arguably the best cricketers in India to have ever played the game.

5. Rohit Sharma

We can’t possibly forget about the current ODI and test captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma. He is hailed as the best opening batter for India and in world cricket. Rohit started his career as a middle-order batter but then he moved up the order in 2013 and that skyrocketed his cricketing career. 

Rohit has scored 19,398 runs in international cricket in 524 innings at an average of  42.26 including 48 hundreds and 107 fifties. He holds the record for most double-hundreds and the highest individual score in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Rohit has also won 5 IPL titles leading the Mumbai Indians. 

Rohit is undoubtedly one of the best Indian cricket players and truly one of the

6. Rahul Dravid

Now let’s move on to the former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid. Also known as ‘The Wall’ because of his solid defence and technique, Dravid is the third-highest run-scorer for India in international cricket across formats. He has scored 24,064 runs across tests and ODIs at an average of 45.47. Dravid has 48 hundreds and 145 fifties to his name. 

Known for his grit and resilience with the bat, Dravid has played some very memorable knocks for India during his international career. India reached the finals of the ICC World Cup 2023 and won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 under Dravid’s coaching. Dravid has also led India in international cricket for some time. 

7. Anil Kumble

The first name when talking about Indian bowlers will be Anil Kumble. Known as ‘Jumbo”, Kumble is the highest wicket-taker for India and one of the best bowlers in world cricket. The right-arm leg spinner has 953 wickets in 499 innings in his international career. This includes 37 five-wicket hauls, 39 four-wicket hauls and 8 ten-wicket hauls which is just phenomenal for any bowler. 

Kumble has picked up 10 wickets in an innings (test cricket) and is the only Indian bowler to achieve this feat. Anil Kumble is ranked 4th in the list of highest wicket-takers in cricket history. He is, without any doubt, one of the best Indian cricket players.

8. Ravichandran Ashwin

When talking about the top performers for India in international cricket, we must talk about Ravichandran Ashwin who has recently announced his retirement from international cricket. Ashwin is one of the best spin bowlers to have ever played the game and one of the best Indian cricket players.

Ashwin has 765 wickets across formats in 379 innings at a bowling average of 25.80. He has 37 five-wicket hauls, 28 four-wicket hauls and 8 ten-wicket hauls to his name in international cricket. The right-arm off-spinner has 3500+ test runs to his name including 6 centuries. There’s no question that Ashwin is one of the Indian cricket players.

9. Yuvraj Singh

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh has scored 11,686 runs in 399 matches at an average of 34.98 including 17 hundreds and 71 fifties to his name. He’s one of the best Indian cricket players in international cricket. The southpaw has also picked up 147 wickets. Yuvraj played a key role in India’s success in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup. He was the ‘Player of the tournament’ in the 2011 World Cup.

10. Sunil Gavaskar

It’s impossible to look past legendary Sunil Gavaskar when talking about the best Indian cricket players. Gavaskar also known as the ‘little master’ was one of the best batters in cricket history. He scored 13,314 runs in 316 innings at an average of 46.20. He has 35 hundreds and 72 fifties to his name in the longest format. 

Gavaskar is the first player in the cricket history to score 10,000 test runs. This is a great achievement as he faced the likes of Sir Andy Robers, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Jeff Thompson and many others. Sunil Gavaskar is truly one of the best Indian cricket players in test format. 

11. Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan is one of the greatest left-arm pacers in cricket history and he’s undoubtedly one of the best Indian cricket players. He has picked up 597 wickets in international cricket in 303 matches with 23 four-wicket hauls, 12 five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul to his name. He was India’s best bowler for quite a long time during his career. 

12. Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly is amongst the best captains of India. Known for his aggression, Ganguly has 18,433 runs for India across formats at an average of 41.42 including 38 centuries and 108 fifties. He’s one of the best left-hand batters for India in international cricket. He has picked up 132 wickets as well. There shouldn’t be any questions on why Ganguly is one of the best Indian cricket players.

13. Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag has 16,892 runs in 431 innings at an average of 40.60. He has 38 centuries and 70 fifties to his name alongside the 2 triple centuries! Sehwag was very aggressive at the top order and made an impact with the bat throughout his career. He also has 134 wickets to his name. For his sheer impact on Indian cricket with his aggressive style of batting, Sehwag is one of the best Indian cricket players.

14. VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman has 11,119 runs at an average of 41.64 including 23 centuries and 66 fifties. Laxman alongside Rahul Dravid was the chief architect of India’s one of the most famous wins in test cricket (against Australia at Kolkata). The stylish right-hand batter was a key player for India in test cricket.

15. Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh; 707 wickets in 365 matches including 28 five-wicket hauls, 19 four-wicket hauls and 5 ten-wicket hauls is the third-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket. He’s one of the best off-spinners in test cricket and among the best Indian cricket players. 

16. Kapil Dev

India’s first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev is one of the best Indian test players. Kapil is hailed as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket and the best in Indian cricket. Kapil was equally skilled in both batting and bowling. He has 687 test wickets in 356 matches at an average of 28.83 including 24 five-wicket hauls, 20 four-wicket hauls and 2 ten-wicket hauls in his test career. Kapil Dev is the third-highest wicket-taker for India in test cricket. 

He also has 9031 runs at an average of 27.53 including 9 hundreds and 41 fifties to his name. All these numbers are proof that Kapil Dev is inarguably among the best Indian cricket players.

17. Ravindra Jadeja

Similarly, Ravindra Jadeja is there in the list of Indian test players who have performed consistently in international cricket. The all-rounder is one of the best going around in the longest format, especially with both bat and ball. With his 597 wickets in 351 matches, Jadeja is the 5th highest wicket-taker for India across formats.

The southpaw has scored 6641 runs at an average of 32.23 with 4 test hundreds to his name and 35 half-centuries. Ravindra Jadeja is currently the ranked 1 all-rounder in ICC test rankings and he’s truly been one of the best Indian cricket players in the longest format. 

So, these were some of the many Indian test players who’ve done a great job for India in international cricket. All of them are proven performers and match-winners and inarguably they’re the best Indian cricket players. 

18. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir was the hero with the bat for India in the 2011 cricket World Cup and 2007 T20 World Cup. He played crucial knocks in both these games when the team needed a clutch performance. The left-hand batter has scored 10,324 runs in 242 matches at an average of 38.95 including 20 centuries and 63 fifties to his name. Because of his impact on the two biggest achievements in Indian cricket history, Gambhir is one of the best Indian cricket players.

19. Javagal Srinath

Javagal Srinath is one of the best Indian cricket players for India with the ball. He was the first premier pacer for India who bowled at a very high pace. The right-arm speedster has picked up 551 wickets in 296 games including 13 five-wicket hauls, 15 four-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul.

20. Mohammed Shami

Pacer Mohammed Shami has been a key bowler for India for more than a decade now. Shami has 448 wickets in 188 matches across formats. He has 22 four-wicket hauls and 11 fifers to his name in international cricket. Shami was exceptional in the last ODI World Cup ending up as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament. Shami was recently sidelined for a whole year due to injury but he has contributed a lot to Indian cricket and is among the best Indian cricket players.

 

Who is the famous cricketer in India?

After talking about such big names in Indian cricket, one question may arise “Who’s the most famous cricketer in India”? We all know how popular is the sport in India and there are many factors to determine the most famous cricketer in India like social media followers, brand advertisements, net worth and a few other things. 

Let’s get into it without any ado: 

• Virat Kohli 

Virat Kohli, without any doubt, is the most famous cricketer in India. Kohli is one of the most followest athletes in the world in all sports. The Indian batter has 270 million followers on Instagram which is more than the likes of Lebron James (159 million), Neymar (217 million) and many others. Virat is known globally and he’s played a key role in growing the sport globally.

Kohli’s net worth is a whopping 1000+ crore. He earns a handsome salary from the BCCI and in the IPL but the majority of his income comes from brand advertisements. The former Indian captain features in many brand advertisements which makes up for his popularity in India. 

• MS Dhoni 

MS Dhoni is another super popular Indian cricketer. We’ve seen the ‘sea of yellow’ in the IPL in all the venues where CSK plays and it is solely because of the Indian wicket-keeper’s popularity. Dhoni is not very active on social media but he has 49.3 million followers on Instagram and features in more than a dozen advertisements. 

Dhoni has a net worth of 111 million USD (INR 950+ crores) and many fans and experts consider him the most famous cricketer in India. 

• Sachin Tendulkar 

Sachin Tendulkar retired back in 2013 but after more than a decade, he’s still one of the most cricketers in India. The master blaster has a net worth of 170 million USD (INR 1400+ crores). He has the highest net worth among Indian cricketers. 

Sachin has 49.9 million followers on Instagram and endorses many brands as well which makes the legendary batter one of the most famous Indian cricketers. 

• Rohit Sharma

Current Indian test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma also features in the list of most cricketers in India. Rohit’s popularity has increased at a rapid rate, especially in the last few years. 

He has an Instagram following of 42 million and has a net worth of 80 million USD (INR 680+ crores). The Indian skipper also has a good brand presence and he’s among the most famous cricketers in India of all time. 

• Hardik Pandya 

Hailed as one of the best all-rounders in Indian cricket history, Hardik Pandya is one of the most famous Indian cricketers. He’s very popular amongst the younger generation and has been a great asset for India with his all-round skill set. 

The all-rounder has a net worth of USD 50 million (INR 430+ crores) and can be seen in various brand advertisements. Hardik was the talk of the town when got traded to the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2024. Pandya has 38 million followers on Instagram. Pandya is truly among the most famous cricketers in India.

• KL Rahul 

Indian batter KL Rahul also makes it to the list of most famous Indian cricketers. Rahul has been very versatile in his role in the Indian cricket team and has performed well in all three formats. 

Rahul has 21.3 million followers on Instagram and is quite active in brand endorsements as well. He also receives a handsome salary from the BCCI and in the IPL as well. He has a net worth of USD 40 million (INR 340+ crores). KL Rahul will continue to play for India for years to come and is surely one of the most famous cricketers in India

• Rishabh Pant 

Rishabh Pant is known for his fearless approach while batting and has played some memorable knocks for Team India in his career so far. The wicket-keeper batter became the most expensive player in IPL history in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bought the southpaw for a whopping INR 27 crores. 

Pant has 14.4 million followers on Instagram and has a net worth of INR 100 crores. He’s very popular with the younger generation and is currently one of the most famous Indian cricketers. Pant will finish his career as one of the best Indian cricket players.

These are the most famous cricketers in India and the top Indian cricketers. All of them have massive popularity amongst the fans. 

Best Indian Cricket Players: Top 10 Cricket Players Name 

Since we are talking about the best cricket player in India, here’s a list of the top 10 cricket players in the country. It includes players who have retired and players who are currently playing for India in international cricket. 

Top 10 cricket players

• Virat Kohli
• MS Dhoni
• Sachin Tendulkar
• Rohit Sharma
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Hardik Pandya
• KL Rahul
• Yuvraj Singh 
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Yashasvi Jaiswal

These are the top 10 cricket players in India. There are many other quality players like Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Gautam Gambhir and many others. But at the moment, these are the best Indian cricket players. 

Best Indian top-order batsman 

Here’s the list of the best Indian top-order (opening) batsman which includes players who are playing and players who have retired from cricket. 

• Rohit Sharma
• Virender Sehwag
• Sachin Tendulkar
• Shikhar Dhawan
• Sourav Ganguly
• Sunil Gavaskar
• Gautam Gambhir
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• KL Rahul
• Murali Vijay

This list includes some of the best Indian top-order batsmen who have dominated the game while batting at the top of the order in all sorts of conditions. Now let’s move on to the best Indian cricket players in bowling. 

Top 10 Best bowlers from India

These are the best bowlers India has ever produced in the game of cricket. These players have the knack of picking up wickets and have won numerous games for India with their bowling. 

• Jasprit Bumrah
• Anil Kumble
• Ravichandran Ashwin
• Kapil Dev
• Harbhajan Singh
• Zaheer Khan
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Javagal Srinath
• Mohammed Shami
• Ishant Sharma

This concludes the list of the top Indian cricketers with both bat and ball. There are many other quality players from India apart from these players and it’s close to impossible to list down each of them.

Want to know more about pace bowling? Read our detailed guide about pace bowling!

Who is the best player in Indian cricket team? 

Now comes the big question, “Who’s the best player in Indian cricket team”. There is no particular answer to this as there have been many players who can be termed the best Indian cricket players. 

Sachin Tendulkar is hailed as the ‘God of cricket’ and arguably the best batter in the game. He has the most runs in cricket history across all three formats and is the first superstar in Indian cricket. 

Then there’s Virat Kohli who’s also considered as the best batter of the modern generation and is hailed as the ‘best batter in cricket’ by many. Kohli has been a star performer for India over the years. 

MS Dhoni is the only captain in cricket to win all three ICC trophies. He’s considered as the best finisher and wicket-keeper batter in world cricket. Dhoni has a huge following and is a legend of the game and Indian cricket. 

Then there are many other players like Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravichandran Ashwin and many more who are considered one of the greatest and most famous cricketers in India. 

But if we have to point out the “Best Indian cricket player” then it comes down to one between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Now it’s up to you to decide which of the two will be considered as the “Best Indian cricket player”! 

Top cricket personalities in India 

With the huge following of cricket in India many top cricket personalities have done an excellent job in the field of cricket. It includes the players, commentators and sports journalists who have become a household name in Indian cricket. 

Here’s a list of the top cricket personalities in India: 

• Virat Kohli
• Sachin Tendulkar
• MS Dhoni
• Rohit Sharma
• Sunil Gavaskar
• Harsha Bhogle
• Ayaz Menon
• Vivek Razdan
• Jatin Sapru
• Ravi Shastri
• Sanjay Manjrekar

These are some of the many top cricket personalities in India. They have done a commendable job on and off the field in the Indian cricket. 

So this was all from us in finding out the “Best Indian cricket player”. We looked at the numbers and other factors of all the best players who have played for India in international cricket. 

Now let’s move on to some of the frequently asked questions from this topic.

Frequently Asked Questions