8 Cricketing Legends of All Time

While the game has produced several greats, we bring to you information on eight cricket legends who have shaped the game as it stands today, with their outstanding play.

Sir Donald George Bradman

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Sir Donald George Bradman, or The Don, is the greatest test batsman of all times with an average Test batting average of 99.94 -the highest for many years to come in the history of the game before Australian batsman Adam Voges broke it with his 100.33 average in 2004.

Debuting at the Adelaide Oval at the age of 19, Sir Bradman has held several records in the span of his 20-years’ career including most runs in a series during 1930 (974 runs), most double centuries (12), most triple centuries (2).

Idolized by one and all, the Don has a museum dedicated to him along with the honor of his image being inscribed on postage stamps and a AUS$5 commemorative gold coin.

Sir Vivian Richards

Pic Credits: Cricmatez

One of the greatest batsmen of all time known for his explosive batting skills, a cricketing legends list would not be complete without his mention.

Voted as one of the 5 “Cricketers of the Century” by an expert panel of 100 members, in 2000, Viv Richards is regarded as the third best Test batsman of all time, in league with Bradman and Tendulkar, and among the best ODI batsman of all time.

Sachin Tendulkar

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Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is regarded as the best living batsman, holding several world records that include playing the highest number of ODI and Test matches (657); being the first batsman ever to cross 34, 000 runs in total; scoring highest number of centuries in both ODI and Test cricket (51 and 49 runs respectively); and, first player to make a double-century in ODI history.

Being the awardee of 60 Man-of-the-Match and 14 Man-of-the-Series in ODIs, Sachin is considered among the most productive run-scorers in ODI matches with a score of 18,426 runs, ranked as 2nd to only Don Bradman as a Test batsman and to Viv Richards as ODI batsman.

Sir Garry Sobers

Pic Credits: Daily News

Garry Sobers is among the best all-rounders to grace the game. Starting his career as a bowler, he soon found himself up the batting order owing to his extraordinary temperament for the game.

He scored his maiden Test century against Pakistan in 1958 and established a fresh record of highest individual score in an innings (365 not out!) -a record that was later broken by Brian Lara who scored 375.

Brian Lara

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Brian Charles Lara, who made his debut in 1990 with West Indies, is regarded as one of the finest batsman of all time.

Winner of the coveted BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award, Brian has several cricketing records that bespeak of his exceptional caliber as a great cricketer -from holding the record of the highest individual score in first-class cricket (501 not out) to making the highest individual score (400 not out) in a test innings, to a world record of the most runs ever made in a single over in Test cricket (28 runs), and being the only cricketer ever to make a single, double, triple and even a quadruple century in test matches!  

Kapil Dev

Pic Credits: India Today

Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj (better known as Kapil Dev) was a gifted batsman endowed with phenomenal bowling skills. A legendary cricketer, he was the greatest and most dependable fast-bowling all-rounders, who served as India’s main strike bowler during a large part of his career.

It was under his captaincy that India won their very first World Cup title (1983). A natural batsman and an equally excellent right-arm pace bowler with a strong out-swinger, he helped lay the attack on the rival teams.

Kapil Dev is the first Indian player to have taken 400-wickets, and scoring more than 5,000 runs in the 231 Test matches he played.

Shane Warne

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Shane Keith Warne is one of the benchmark leg spinners of all times from Australia. He started his career in 1992 and went on to score more than 1000 wickets in 145 Tests and 194 ODIs, the second highest after Muralitharan.

His spectacular performances include a record of 708 Test wickets that is the most wickets taken by any bowler in any Test match till day, while his score of 3000 Test runs is a record of the most number of Test runs without a century. He also holds the record of taking 5 wickets in an innings 37 times in Test cricket.

He is also the only specialist bowler to be selected as a “Cricketer of the Century” within the span of his playing career itself.

Muttiah Muralitharan

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Muttiah Muralitharan is another cricketing legend regarded as one of the greatest Test match bowler of all time. He is the first bowler to ever try the wrist-spinning off-spin in the history of the game. Debuting in 1992, he has taken 800 Test wickets and over 500 ODI wickets, and is one of the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

This cricketer who is the proud awardee of the Man-of-the-Series title the maximum number of times in Test cricket, has gone on to make an average of 6-wickets per Test, taking 5 or more wickets in an innings 67 times. Muttiah is also the only player to have taken 4 successive 10-wickets in Test innings (and that too accomplishing this twice!).