Famous 21st Century Cricketers

Counted amongst world’s best batsmen, Virat Kohli is the former captain of Indian national cricket team. Under his captaincy, Indian cricket rose to great heights and he is the most successful Indian Test captain till date. He shot to fame when he led India’s Under-19 team to victory at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. Since then, Virat Kohli has proved his talent in all forms of the game.

Often referred to as the God of Cricket in India, Sachin Tendulkar is a retired cricketer. Also known for his humility on and off the field, Sachin is one of the most revered, celebrated, and decorated cricketers. Considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar played a key role in turning India into a cricket-frenzy nation.

Former Indian international cricketer M. S. Dhoni captained the Indian national team from 2007 to 2016. He played as a right-handed middle-order batsman and wicket-keeper. With more than 10,000 runs scored, he is one of the highest run-scorers in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He also became the first wicket-keeper to effect 100 stumpings in ODI cricket.

AB de Villiers, also known as “Mr. 360” and “Superman,” has captained the South African cricket team in Tests, ODIs, and T20s. Named the ICC ODI Player of the Year thrice, the Wisden "cricketer of the decade" is a devout Christian, has written an autobiography, and released a pop album.

Shane Warne was a former Australian cricket player, best known for his leg-break bowling. Widely regarded as one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time, Warne was the second-highest wicket-taker in test cricket. He was also one of the most controversial cricketers. In 2013, Shane Warne was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Wasim Akram is a Pakistani former cricketer, cricket commentator, and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He is counted amongst the finest exponents of reverse swing bowling. He became a commentator and coach following his retirement as a player. He is a recipient of the Pakistan Government’s Hilal-e-Imtiaz award. 

Sunil Gavaskar is an Indian former professional cricket player who represented the national team during the 1970s and 1980s. Considered one of the greatest batsmen in Test cricket history, Sunil Gavaskar was the first batsman to score over 10,000 runs in Test cricket. He also set many world records and held the record for most Test centuries for nearly 20 years.

Ricky Ponting is an Australian retired cricket player best known for his abilities as a batsman, fielder, and captain. Widely regarded as one of the modern-time greats, Ponting is the leading run-scorer for Australia in Test and ODI cricket. Ponting captained the Australian Test team between 2004 and 2011 and is considered one of the most successful cricket captains of all time.

Known as the most capped West Indian player in international cricket, Chris Gayle is also the only player with a triple hundred in Tests, a double century in ODIs, and a century in T20Is. Breaking Brian Lara's record of 10,348 runs, he became the leading West Indian ODI run-scorer.

One of the best all-rounders the world has ever seen, South African cricketer Jacques Kallis was known for his signature cover drive throughout his career. He remains the only cricketer to score over 10,000 runs and take more than 250 wickets in both ODI and Test cricket.

Australian cricketer Steve Smith captained the Australian Test team and also tied with Garry Sobers when he made a record 6,000 Test runs in 111 innings, the second-best after Donald Bradman. The Allan Border Medal-winning batsman was banned from Australian cricket for a year for overseeing ball tampering.

Indian right-handed batsman Rohit Sharma is also the vice-captain in the limited-overs format. One of the few cricketers to score a century in all three formats, he is also the first player with two ODI double centuries. He is WWF-India’a Rhino Ambassador and works for PETA’s campaigns for street animals.

The current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan is also the founder and chairman of the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Before making an entry into politics, Imran Khan was an extremely popular international cricketer who led Pakistan to its first ever Cricket World Cup title in 1992. As a philanthropist, he established Pakistan’s first cancer hospital in Lahore.

Glenn McGrath is an Australian former international cricketer. A fast-medium pace bowler, he is considered one of the greatest Australian international bowlers of all time. He played international cricket for 14 years and was a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket in the 1990s and 2000s. He is currently the director of MRF Pace Foundation. 

David Warner is an Australian professional cricket player. An opening batsman, Warner is one of the most important members of the Australia men's national cricket team in all three formats of the game. Warner was caught up in an ugly controversy in 2018 after being involved in a ball-tampering scandal in the midst of a Test series against South Africa.

The son of a mine worker, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is known for his mercurial on-field persona and for his swing and speed. He has many accolades to his credit, such as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year. He also topped the ICC Test rankings for 263 weeks.

Curtly Ambrose is a former cricketer who represented the West Indies cricket team in Test and ODI matches. Renowned for his pace and accuracy, Ambrose is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers ever. In 2011, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Waqar Younis is a Pakistani former cricketer, commentator, and coach. During his playing career, he captained the Pakistan national cricket team. He played as a right-arm fast bowler and is still counted amongst the greatest bowlers to have played the game. He became a coach after his retirement and was once the head coach of the Pakistani cricket team. 

Yuvraj Singh is an Indian retired cricket player who was noted for his exceptional fielding abilities and aggressive stroke play. Considered one of India's greatest limited-overs players, Yuvraj Singh helped India win the 2011 World Cup with his all-round abilities. He also serves as an inspiration to cancer patients as he fought cancer amidst his career and made his international comeback.

One of the best ODI bastmen in the world, South African cricketer Hashim Amla has made many records, from being the fastest to reach 20 ODI centuries to being the fourth player to score centuries against all Test-playing nations. He was also the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2013.

Usman Khawaja is an Australian professional cricket player who has represented the Australian men's cricket team in Test, One Day International, and Twenty20 cricket. In 2011, he became the first Pakistani-born player and the first Muslim to play for the Australian Test team. He went on to represent Australia at the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Mitchell Starc is an Australian international cricketer. He plays for the Australian national team in international cricket and New South Wales in domestic cricket. Primarily a left-arm fast bowler, he is also a capable lower-order left-handed batsman. He was part of the Australian squad that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He is married to fellow cricketer Alyssa Healy. 

Glenn Maxwell is an Australian professional cricket player who represents the national cricket team in one day internationals and twenty20 internationals. Often referred to as the Big Show, Maxwell is renowned for his improvisation and dramatic, high-risk shot making. Over the years, he has also had a major impact on twenty20 franchise cricket, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Nicknamed The Wall for his resilient batting in Test cricket, Rahul Dravid was known for his unmatched concentration. He was selected for the Indian cricket squad while pursuing his MBA. Apart from winning the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, he has also been named to the ICC Hall of Fame.

Faf du Plessis is a South African cricketer who captained the national team in the ODI format from 2013 to 2019. He has also captained the national team in the other two formats of the game. He became the first South African player to score centuries in ODI, T20, and Test cricket after he scored his first T20I century in 2015.

Considered India's most successful Test captain, legendary cricketer Sourav Ganguly, nicknamed Maharaj, was also arguably one of the best one-day batsmen of his time. Also known as the God of the Off Side, he now heads the BCCI as its president. He was initially also a talented footballer.

Shikhar Dhawan is an Indian cricket player and one of the most important members of the current Indian cricket team. Known for his successful innings in ICC Tournaments, Dhawan helped India win their second ICC Champions Trophy, in 2013; he was the highest run-scorer in the tournament. He has also been an important player in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Born to a South African father and an English mother, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen still holds the record for being the fastest to make 2,000 ODI runs. Named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, he was also nicknamed “shining” once, for his phenomenal contribution to the England team.

One of the best all-rounders of the Indian cricket team, Ravichandran Ashwin is best known for popularizing the soduku ball technique. He is also the only bowler apart from Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis to bowl the carrom ball. The Arjuna Award winner is the son of a Chennai-based cricketer.

Known for his aggressive batting, Indian middle-order batsman Suresh Raina is also a phenomenal fielder. He was part of India’s 2011 World Cup squad and became the first Indian cricketer with a century in all forms of international cricket. He retired in 2020 but will continue to play IPL matches.