Test cricket is perhaps the hardest format to conquer for any player. The longest format requires players to be at their best to perform day in and day out.
There have been a few Indian players who found considerable success in Test cricket. They showed their consistency while putting in the hard yards year after year.
And for their standout performances in between, the ICC awarded them with the Test Cricketer of the Year tag.
So here are the Indian players who have won the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award.
1. Rahul Dravid
The ICC introduced the annual award in 2004, and Rahul Dravid ended up as the inaugural winner. He was the backbone of India’s batting lineup at No. 3 position.
And Dravid dished out his peak performance in the 2003-04 season. The right-hand batter accrued 1241 runs across 16 innings in nine Test matches.
He averaged a staggering 95.46 while smashing three centuries and four fifties. Dravid also brought up his career-best score of 270, helping India beat Pakistan by an innings and 131 runs in the 2004 Rawalpindi Test.
It was his remarkable consistency that made him the first Indian player to win the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award.
2. Gautam Gambhir
Five years later, Gautam Gambhir became the second Indian to bag the honour in 2009. And the accolade came on the back of an impressive comeback to the Test squad.
Gambhir first played the format in late 2004, but couldn’t quite make an impact in a year he would have loved to. The lean patch meant he was left out of the side.
But some promising performances in limited-overs cricket in 2007 brought him back into the Test fold. And this time, Gambhir made the opportunity count, amassing 1269 runs in eight Tests.
He smashed five hundreds and four half-centuries alongside his run tally while averaging 84.60 in the 2008-09 season. That sensational return sealed his spot in the team and landed him the award.
3. Virender Sehwag
Gambhir’s opening partner, Virender Sehwag, followed suit next year. The right-hand opener made aggressive batting a norm when many batters took the defensive approach back in those days.
And Sehwag was at his usual best in 2010. He racked up 1422 runs in 25 innings (14 Tests) at an average of 61.82 and a strike rate of 90.80.
Sehwag’s great run also included five centuries and eight fifties. His dominant batting performance resulted in him becoming the Test Cricketer of the Year in 2010.
4. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin became the first Indian bowler to grab the Test Cricketer of the Year award. And he did so in 2016 when he delivered his best performance in a calendar year.
India were almost unbeatable on home soil during Ashwin’s stellar Test career; such was his impact. The former off-spinner showed a glimpse of his spin mastery in 2016, picking up 72 wickets in 12 Tests.
Ashwin added eight five-wicket hauls and three 10-fors while registering his career-best innings (7/59) and match (13/140) figures. He also chipped in with the bat, putting his more than handy batting on display.
The Tamil Nadu all-rounder scored 612 runs in those matches, including two Test tons and four half-centuries. For his all-round performance, Ashwin also won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in the same year.
5. Virat Kohli
A couple of years later, Virat Kohli joined the above four Indians. The former Indian Test captain was in a purple patch with the bat in 2018.
Kohli was in his prime between 2016 and 2018, accumulating 1000-plus runs each of the three years. In 2018, though, he was in beast mode, scoring 1322 runs in 24 innings (13 Tests).
The right-hand batter averaged 55.08 while raising five centuries and as many fifties to win the Test Cricketer of the Year award.
6. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is the latest winner of the yearly award. He became the first Indian fast bowler and, overall, the sixth from the country to win the prestigious honour.
Bumrah is perhaps one of the finest pacers India has produced in its history. And right-arm quick showed his greatness in 2024.
He was at his absolute best in red-ball cricket, grabbing 71 wickets in 26 innings (13 Tests). Bumrah averaged below 15, reflecting his excellent control over the ball. The pacer’s tally also included 5 five-wicket hauls.
What’s even more special is Bumrah wrapped up the year as the No. 1 Test bowler in ICC rankings.
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