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.

Imran Khan is the former Prime Minister of Pakistan who was in office from 2018 to 2022. He 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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Born to a flour mill owner, Virender Sehwag convinced his family to let him learn cricket since he wasn’t good in academics. He later grew up to be an aggressive batsman, breaking many records. He’s one of two people with a double hundred in ODI and a triple hundred in Test cricket.

Harbhajan Singh is an Indian professional cricket player. He was part of Indian cricket teams which won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Renowned for his aggressive persona and style of play, Harbhajan Singh is considered one of the greatest Indian off-spin bowlers of all time. In 2009, he was honored with the Padma Shri award. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Inzamam-ul-Haq is a Pakistani former professional cricketer. During his career, he was the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in one-day internationals. He is also the only Pakistani batsman to score 20,000 runs in the international cricket arena. He captained the Pakistan national cricket team for a few years. He became a coach after retiring.  

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. 

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.

Sir Garfield Sobers is a former cricket player who represented the West Indies cricket team during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Renowned for his all-round abilities, Sobers is regarded as the greatest all-rounder of all time. He is also considered one of the greatest cricketers ever. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Martin Crowe was a New Zealand cricket player who captained the national Test and ODI teams. Counted among the greatest batsmen New Zealand has ever produced, Crowe was the highest run-scorer for New Zealand in Test and One Day International cricket at the time of his retirement in 1995. Martin Crowe served as a commentator after retiring as a player.

Courtney Walsh is a Jamaican former cricketer who played for the West Indies cricket team from 1984 to 2001. Considered one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Walsh became the first bowler to take 500 Test wickets before finishing his career with 519 wickets. Walsh was made an inductee of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010.

South African former cricketer Graeme Smith was once nicknamed Biff for often smashing the leather off the cricket balls. At 22, he was the youngest captain of his national cricket team. He was also known for his legendary opening partnerships with Herschelle Gibbs. Post-retirement, he works as a commentator.

Born into a family of renowned cricketers, Shaun Pollock was the son of Peter Pollock and the nephew of Graeme Pollock. One of the best medium pace bowlers of South Africa, he was pushed into captaincy when Hansie Cronje got entangled in a match-fixing scandal in 2000.

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.

Brendon McCullum is a New Zealand former cricket player who captained the national team in all formats of the game. Renowned for his ability to score runs quickly, McCullum is regarded as one of the most successful captains of the national cricket team. Brendon McCullum is currently associated with the England cricket test team where he is the head coach. 

Ben Stokes is an English cricketer. Considered one of the most important players in all three formats of the game, Stokes was honored with the ICC Award for Best Men's Cricketer in 2019. In 2019 and 2020, he was adjudged the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World. Ben Stokes is currently serving as the captain of the England Test team.

Legendary Australian cricketer Allan Border, also popularly known as AB, remains to be regarded as one of the best batsmen the game has ever had. Under his captaincy, Australia didn’t just win a World Cup but also brought back the Ashes in 1989. He is also one of Australia’s 100 National Living Treasures.