If you’re a fan of cricket, you’ll already know that India is responsible for producing some of the best players in the world. As well as being sportsmen that have broken records, they have also captured the hearts and minds of millions of fans. It’s these players that have helped to promote India so that it’s seen as a powerhouse in the sport.
While India has produced too many greats for us to look at them all, these are the ones that we think are the best of all time.
Sachin Tendulkar
It’s impossible to have a list of Indian cricketing greats without a mention of Sachin Tendulkar. He has long been known as the ‘God of Cricket’ and is arguably the greatest player to ever pick up a cricket bat. His international debut came in 1989 when he was just 16 years of age, and his career then spanned more than two decades.
When it comes to records, Tendulkar has more than his fair share. He has the record for most test runs, at 15,921, as well as the most ODI runs, at 18,426. Then there’s his phenomenal achievement of 100 international centuries to consider. Perhaps the highlight of his career came in 2011 when he played his part in India winning the ICC Cricket World Cup.
MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is widely known as ‘Captain Cool’. His reputation is as being one of the best captains and wicket keepers in the history of cricket. It was under Dhoni’s leadership that Indian cricket was transformed. It became a dominant force in all formats and was feared by all. With Dhoni as captain, India won the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Dhoni was known as a master tactician. He helped his team by taking a calm and logical approach to the game. Beyond this, his iconic ‘helicopter shot’ showed how he took a less conventional, but highly effective, approach to batting.
Virat Kohli
Kohli is the modern face of both Indian and world cricket. He’s known for an aggressive style of play and outstanding levels of fitness. After his debut in 2008, he destroyed the record books, playing at levels never seen before. He became the fastest player to score 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and 11,0000 runs in ODIs.
Those who know about Kohli regard him as a natural leader. This was shown during his captaincy of India where he took them to some truly outstanding victories. Perhaps the most impressive of these was India’s first ever win against Australia in 2018-2019. Kohli is also known for being consistent across all formats, achieving more than 70 international centuries.
Having recently retired from T20, it’s likely that 2025 will be his final year in any format. Platforms like sportsbet India may be worth a wager on whether he’s likely to disappear completely. While he’s still paying at such a high level, retirement just doesn’t make sense.
Rahul Dravid
Dravid comes with the nickname ‘The Wall’. In the cricketing world, he’s held in high regard for his patience, technique, and sheer class. He managed to rack up more than 24,000 international runs, and this sees him ranked as one of the most reliable batsmen in the history of Indian cricket. The way that he was able to excel, no matter what the challenges, meant that he soon became an invaluable part of the team.
When Dravid ended his playing days, he still continued to contribute to the sport. Between 2021 and 2024 he was the head coach of the Indian team. This saw him using his experience to nurture young talent as well as to leads the team to victory in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. The influence he has had both on and off the field mean that he is rightly seen as a legend in the sport.
Rohit Sharma
Known as the ‘Hitman’, there’s no getting away from the fact that Sharma is one of the most gifted batsmen of his generation. His stroke play was effortless and his ability to score big under pressure is unmatched. He also holds the record for the highest individual score in an ODI. This was when it racked up an outstanding 264 words against Sri Lanka.
When captaining the Indian team, it was clear to see that Sharma was always willing to lead from the front. He’s the only player who’s managed to score 3 double centuries in ODI and he also holds the world record for the most sixes hit in international cricket. His performance during the 2024 T20 World Cup further cements his name in history as one of the greatest of all time.
Anil Kumble
Kumle is India’s highest wicket taker in Test Cricket. Mastering the leg spin, he has amassed an amazing 619 wickets. This makes him the 4th highest wicket taker in the format. His performance in 1999 against Pakistan saw him claim 10 wickets and this is a match that will never be forgotten.
His roles of Indian captain and head coach both allowed him to show his leadership skills. Many praise his sportsmanship and the positive role model that he is for the next generation.
Final Thoughts
Indian cricket has seen some of the best players of all time be part of the team. All of the names that we’ve explored have played their own unique roles in helping to push India so that it became the dominant force in the sport.
The achievements, as well as the resilience, of these players are now inspiring the next generation. With youngsters following the example of these greats, we can be sure that the country will continue to produce players with the talent that other countries can only dream of.
With legends like Tendulkar and modern greats like Kohli, India has shown its ability to continually produce the most talented cricketers the world has seen. It’ll be interesting to see the next names to join this list.
