The 10 Greatest Indian Batsmen of All Time

In India, cricket is followed like a religion and many of the greatest cricketers have been born in this country, such as Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Mohammad Shami, etc.

Indian bowlers have shown that they can lead the team with their dominant spin, swing, and pace bowling. However, when it comes to setting big targets for opponents and hitting significant boundaries, batsmen play a leading role.

India has produced many incredible batsmen who not only set various world records but also showcased their talent on the global stage. In this article, we will explore the ten greatest Indian batsmen of all time.

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar was often called by the nickname “Little Master” and is the highest run scorer of all time. He started his international career at the age of 16 in a Test match against Pakistan.

He is a classical-style right-handed batsman, mainly known for his effortless straight drives and powerful square cuts. His precise shot selection gave him an advantage over all the other batsmen.

He became the first player to score a double-century in the ODI format in 2010. He scored 34,357 runs in 664 matches, which consisted of 164 fifties. 

He also holds the record for 100 centuries in international cricket, which seems impossible to break for any batsman.

2. Sunil Gavaskar  

Gavaskar was often called by the nickname “Sunny” by the fans. He began his international cricket journey by scoring a century in the second Test match of his debut series against the West Indies in 1971.

He was known for his solid back-foot punch and remarkable square cuts. He was excellent at defensive shots, but his simplicity in batting added a unique element to his batting.

Sunil Gavaskar was the first player to score 10,000 runs in the Test format. He played a total of 233 matches and earned 13,214 runs.

3. Virat Kohli  

He represented India in the under-19 team, where he not only captained the team but also won the final of the 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Later, he debuted for the Indian cricket team in the same year in One Day International against Sri Lanka.

King Kohli’s classical techniques allow him to play around the wickets. His powerful cover drive brings goosebumps to the audience. His well-timed on-drive and straight shots are two of his trademark strokes.

Kohli has played 520+ matches and achieved 26,700+ runs, consisting of 80+ hundreds. He is the only player capable of breaking Sachin’s record of 100 centuries.

4. Rahul Dravid  

Rahul Dravid was regarded as one of the “Fab Four” of Indian cricket, along with Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and VVS Laxman. He began his cricket career in 1996 against England.

Dravid was regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era. He used to play beautiful defensive shots. Because of his classical and solid batting techniques, he earned the nickname “The Wall.”

He made 48 centuries, 146 fifties, and scored 24,208 runs in 509 matches in his entire cricket career.

5. Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag was regarded as the most destructive opener and one of the greatest batsmen of his era. He began his international cricket journey with One Day International in 1999.

His fearless batting approach and ability to dominate bowlers differentiated him as a true entertainer in the world of cricket. His smooth, straight drive and back-foot play were quite similar to Tendulkar’s playing style.

He became the first Indian batsman to score a triple century in Tests. He achieved this milestone two times, against Pakistan in 2004 and against South Africa in 2008.

He played 374 matches and scored 17,253 runs, including 38 hundred and 72 fifties.

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6. MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, often called “Captain Cool,” is one of the most successful captains in the history of Indian cricket.

He began his international career in 2004 with an ODI against Bangladesh. With his captaincy, India won the ICC World Cup 2011 and the ICC T20I World Cup 2007.

However, he was also a brilliant batsman, mainly known as one of the best finishers in the world of cricket. Dhoni invented a unique shot named the “helicopter shot,” which sends the audience into a frenzy.

He made 17,266 runs in 538 matches, which consisted of 16 hundreds and 108 fifties. Later on, he retired from Test cricket in 2014 and from ODIs and T20Is in 2019.

7. Sourav Ganguly  

Sourav Ganguly, often known as “Dada,” debuted for the Indian cricket team in 1992. He was known for his elegant batting style and aggressive attitude.

He falls into those rare categories of batsmen who have both stylishness and aggression in their batting. He was mainly known for his cover drive and aggressive stroke.

He scored 131 runs in the first Test match against England in 1996, which was also an excellent debut in tests for him. Ganguly played a total of 424 matches and scored 18,575 runs in his cricket career.

8. Rohit Sharma  

Rohit Sharma is one of the greatest opening batsmen in the Indian cricket team. He began his international cricket career in 2007 in an ODI against Ireland.

Ro-Hitman Sharma is known for his pull shots, cover drives, and his ability to find gaps between many fielders on the ground. His effortless, well-timed shots capture the attention of the audience.

Rohit has the highest individual score of 264 runs in ODIs to his name, along with 3 double hundreds. He has scored 18,800+ runs in 470+ matches.

9. VVS Laxman  

VVS Laxman started his international cricket journey in a Test match against South Africa in 1996.

He was known for his beautiful wristwork and his talent for playing easily against both spin and pace. Laxman was one of the batsmen who played a crucial role in various memorable innings.

He played 220 matches and scored 11,119 runs, along with 23 hundreds and 66 fifties. His stylish batting and ability to rescue teams from difficult situations left an indelible mark on Indian cricket.

10. Mohammad Azharuddin  

Mohammad Azharuddin started his career in style by scoring a century. But the interesting thing is that he scored 3 consecutive centuries in his first 3 matches.

He most often used to play wristy strokes on the leg side. He was known for his perfect cover drives and flicks. Azharuddin’s brilliant batting style was not only memorised by his fans but also by his opponents!

Azharuddin achieved 15,593 runs in 433 matches, which also includes 29 centuries and 79 half-centuries. His impact on Indian cricket is undeniable, leaving a lasting legacy in the sport.