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The basics every cricket fan should know. 4,516 guides, page 81 of 95.
Muttiah Muralitharan: 800 Test Wickets
Muttiah Muralitharan was born on 17 April 1972 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He played 133 Tests (1992–2010), taking 800 wickets at 22.72 — the most Test wickets in history. He took his 800th wicket on the last ball of his final Test — India vs Sri Lanka at Galle in July 2010, dismissing Pragyan Ojha. He also took 534 ODI wickets at 23.08 — the most in ODI history. His bowling action — involving a heavily bent elbow (hyper-extended due to a congenital deformity) — was repeatedly called for throwing by Australian umpires in 1995 and 1999, generating international controversy. ICC biomechanical testing concluded his action was legal. He developed the 'doosra' — an off-spinner's delivery that turns in the opposite direction — with Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq. He is Sri Lanka's greatest individual cricketer and won the 1996 World Cup as part of the side.
Read explainerWasim Akram: The Sultan of Swing
Wasim Akram was born on 3 June 1966 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. He played 104 Tests (1985–2002), taking 414 wickets at 23.62 — the most by a left-arm bowler in Test history and the most by any Pakistani bowler. He also took 502 ODI wickets at 23.52 — the second-most in ODI history behind Muralitharan (534). He is widely considered the greatest left-arm fast bowler in cricket history. Together with Waqar Younis, he formed Pakistan's greatest pace bowling partnership (combined 787 Test wickets). His primary weapon was the ability to swing the ball both ways at pace from the bowling crease — conventional swing away from right-handers in the early overs, reverse swing in toward right-handers with an old ball. He was a central figure in Pakistan's 1992 World Cup win, taking 18 wickets and scoring 33 with the bat in the final.
Read explainerKumar Sangakkara: 12,400 Test Runs and Sri Lanka's Greatest Batsman
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara was born on 27 October 1977 in Matale, Sri Lanka. He played 134 Tests (2000–2015), scoring 12,400 runs at 57.40 — the second-highest average of any batsman with 10,000+ Test runs after Don Bradman (99.94). He scored 38 Test centuries — the second-most among current-era batsmen after Sachin Tendulkar (51). He played as a wicketkeeper until 2009 (315 Test dismissals) and then as a specialist batsman. In ODIs he scored 14,234 runs at 41.98 with 25 centuries. In the 2015 World Cup, he scored four consecutive ODI centuries — the first batsman in history to do so. He was part of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup winning side as a replacement player and the 2014 T20 World Cup winning side. He was ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
Read explainerMahela Jayawardene: 11,814 Test Runs and Sri Lanka's Greatest Captain
Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene was born on 27 May 1977 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He played 149 Tests (1997–2015), scoring 11,814 runs at 49.84 — the fifth-highest total in Test history at the time of his retirement. He scored 34 Test centuries. He captained Sri Lanka in 52 Tests (2006–2009) with 23 wins — the most wins by any Sri Lanka captain in Tests. In the 2007 World Cup Final against Australia in Barbados, he scored 115* — the highest individual score in a World Cup Final. He formed a 624-run partnership with Kumar Sangakkara against South Africa at Colombo in 2006 — the second-highest partnership in Test history. He was a key architect of T20 cricket tactics as Sri Lanka captain during the 2009–2014 era.
Read explainerBrian Lara: The 400
Brian Charles Lara was born on 2 May 1969 in Santa Cruz, Trinidad. He played 131 Tests (1990–2006), scoring 11,953 runs at 52.88 — the most Test runs by any West Indian batsman. He holds the record for the highest individual innings in Test cricket: 400* against England at Antigua in April 2004, the only batsman ever to score 400 in a Test innings. He also holds the highest score in first-class cricket: 501* for Warwickshire against Durham in June 1994. He holds the record Test score twice: he scored 375 against England in 1994, which was then broken by Matthew Hayden (380) in 2003, before Lara broke Hayden's record with 400* in 2004. In the 2003 ICC World Cup semi-final, his 111 against Sri Lanka sealed West Indies' passage to the final. He was ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2004.
Read explainerVirender Sehwag: The Multan Sultan
Virender Sehwag was born on 20 October 1978 in Najafgarh, Delhi, India. He played 104 Tests (2001–2013), scoring 8,586 runs at 49.34. He is the only Indian batsman to score two triple centuries in Test cricket: 309 against Pakistan at Multan in March 2004 (the first triple century by an Indian in Test history) and 319 against South Africa at Chennai in March 2008 (the second-highest individual score in Test history at the time). He also scored 201* against Sri Lanka in ODIs — the first ODI double century, scored on 8 December 2011 (before Rohit Sharma's 264). He was the world's highest-ranked Test batsman in 2004–05. His batting philosophy — attack from the first ball, hit the ball to where it is bowled rather than playing defensively — was unique in Test cricket and has influenced a generation of aggressive opening batsmen.
Read explainerGarfield Sobers: 365* and Six Sixes
Sir Garfield St Auburn Sobers was born on 28 July 1936 in Bridgetown, Barbados. He played 93 Tests (1954–1974), scoring 8,032 runs at 57.78 with 235 wickets at 34.03 — universally regarded as the greatest all-rounder in cricket history. He scored 365* against England at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica in February 1958 — a record that stood for 36 years until Brian Lara's 375 in 1994. On 31 August 1968 at Swansea, he hit six consecutive sixes off Malcolm Nash (Glamorgan) — the first batsman ever to achieve this in first-class cricket. He was knighted in 1975 and named Wisden Cricketer of the Century in 2000.
Read explainerRicky Ponting: 13,378 Test Runs and Three World Cups
Ricky Thomas Ponting was born on 19 December 1974 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. He played 168 Tests (1995–2012), scoring 13,378 runs at 51.85 — second on the all-time Test runs list behind Sachin Tendulkar. He captained Australia in 77 Tests, winning 48 — the most Test wins as captain by any Australian. He led Australia to three consecutive ICC Cricket World Cup titles (1999, 2003, 2007) — no other captain has won three consecutive World Cups. In the 2003 World Cup Final against India at Johannesburg, he scored 140* from 121 balls. He also scored 196 against India at Adelaide in 1999–2000, one of Test cricket's greatest innings under pressure.
Read explainerJacques Kallis: 13,289 Test Runs and 292 Wickets
Jacques Henry Kallis was born on 16 October 1975 in Pinelands, Cape Town, South Africa. He played 166 Tests (1995–2013), scoring 13,289 runs at 55.37 and taking 292 wickets at 32.65 — the only player in Test history to score 13,000+ runs AND take 250+ wickets. He also took 200 catches — only the second fielder in Test history to hold 200 catches (after Rahul Dravid). He scored 45 Test centuries — the third-highest of all time after Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Ricky Ponting (41). He was named ICC Test Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2012. In ODIs, he scored 11,579 runs and took 273 wickets. He was knighted by South Africa's President in 2013.
Read explainerMS Dhoni: Three ICC Titles, 10,773 ODI Runs, and the Art of Finishing
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born on 7 July 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand), India. He played 90 Tests (2005–2014), scoring 4,876 runs at 38.09. He played 350 ODIs (2004–2019), scoring 10,773 runs at 50.57 — second-highest average among wicketkeeper-batsmen in ODI history. He captained India to three ICC title wins: ICC World T20 2007 (inaugural), ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, and ICC Champions Trophy 2013 — no other captain has won all three major ICC white-ball titles. He was the ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2008, 2009. He announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August 2020. His wicketkeeping record: 256 Tests and ODI stumpings combined, the most by any keeper in international cricket. His finishing ability — scoring in the death overs at a strike rate above 120 — defined a generation of batting strategy.
Read explainerAdam Gilchrist: 5,570 Test Runs, 97-Ball World Cup Final Century, and the Wicketkeeper-Batsman Blueprint
Adam Craig Gilchrist was born on 14 November 1971 in Bellingen, New South Wales, Australia. He played 96 Tests (1999–2008), scoring 5,570 runs at 47.60 and taking 379 dismissals — the most by a wicketkeeper in Test cricket at the time of his retirement. He also played 287 ODIs, scoring 9,619 runs at 35.89. He was the first wicketkeeper-batsman to consistently bat at number 7 in Tests and score at a Test strike rate above 80. In the 2007 World Cup Final against Sri Lanka at Bridgetown on 28 April 2007, he scored 149 from 104 balls — including 57 from 35 balls after the Powerplay — carrying a squash ball in his glove. His 149 is the highest score by any batsman in a World Cup Final. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
Read explainerRahul Dravid: 13,288 Test Runs, The Wall, and India's Batting Anchor Across Two Decades
Rahul Sharad Dravid was born on 11 January 1973 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. He played 164 Tests (1996–2012), scoring 13,288 runs at 52.31 — second only to Sachin Tendulkar among Indian batsmen and fourth on the all-time Test runs list. He scored 36 Test centuries, the fourth-highest of all time after Tendulkar (51), Ponting (41), and Kallis (45). He held 210 catches in Tests — the most by any fielder in Test history (later surpassed only by Graeme Smith). He also played 344 ODIs (10,889 runs at 39.16). He was twice named ICC Test Player of the Year (2004 and 2007). He was knighted by the BCCI with the Col. CK Nayudu lifetime achievement award in 2018. He became India's head coach in November 2021.
Read explainerGlenn McGrath: 563 Test Wickets and the Science of Line and Length
Glenn Donald McGrath was born on 9 February 1970 in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. He played 124 Tests (1993–2007), taking 563 wickets at 21.64 — the most Test wickets by any fast bowler in history. He also took 381 ODI wickets at 22.02 — the second-most ODI wickets of all time at the time of retirement. He played in three consecutive World Cup-winning Australian sides (1999, 2003, 2007). He was the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Player of the Tournament (26 wickets). His bowling philosophy — hitting the same spot on the off-stump line repeatedly, building pressure through accuracy rather than pace — made him the most economical fast bowler in Test history (economy rate 2.49). He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010.
Read explainerKapil Dev: 434 Test Wickets, 175 Not Out at Lord's, and India's 1983 World Cup
Ramakhant Nikhanj 'Kapil Dev' was born on 6 January 1959 in Chandigarh, India. He played 131 Tests (1978–1994), scoring 5,248 runs at 31.05 and taking 434 wickets at 29.64 — the first player to take 400 Test wickets and score 5,000 Test runs. He captained India to their first ICC Cricket World Cup title in 1983, defeating West Indies in the final at Lord's Cricket Ground. During that tournament, he scored 175* against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells on 18 June 1983 — the highest ODI score at the time — rescuing India from 17/5. His 434 Test wickets were the world record until Hadlee (then Botham, then Imran, then McGrath) surpassed it. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010.
Read explainerAnil Kumble: 619 Test Wickets and the Only 10-Wicket Innings in Test Cricket Since 1956
Anil Kumble was born on 17 October 1970 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. He played 132 Tests (1990–2008), taking 619 wickets at 29.65 — the third-highest wicket total in Test history after Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). He also played 271 ODIs, taking 337 wickets at 30.89. On 7 February 1999, against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, he became only the second bowler in Test history to take all 10 wickets in a single innings — 10/74, the only instance since Jim Laker's 10/53 in 1956. He was India's most successful Test bowler, and his leg-break and top-spin bowling — rather than the big-turning googly style of Warne — made him unique among the world's great leg-spinners. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2015.
Read explainerCurtly Ambrose: 405 Test Wickets, 7/1 Against Australia, and West Indian Fast Bowling at Its Purest
Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose was born on 21 September 1963 in Swetes, Antigua. He played 98 Tests (1988–2000), taking 405 wickets at 20.99 — the fifth-lowest bowling average among bowlers with 200+ Test wickets, behind only George Lohmann, Sydney Barnes, Charlie Turner, and Clarrie Grimmett (historical). He is widely considered the greatest West Indian fast bowler of the post-Holding/Garner era. On 25 March 1993 at Trinidad (Queen's Park Oval), he took 7/1 in 32 balls against Australia — arguably the most devastating single spell in Test cricket history. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2014.
Read explainerRohit Sharma: 264 ODI, Three ODI Double Centuries, and India's T20 World Cup Captain
Rohit Gurunath Sharma was born on 30 April 1987 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. He played 67 Tests (2013–2024), scoring 4,301 runs at 40.57. He played 267 ODIs (as of 2024), scoring 10,709 runs at 49.79 — the second-highest among active Indian ODI batsmen after Virat Kohli. He is the only batsman in ODI history to score three double centuries: 209 vs Australia (2013), 264 vs Sri Lanka (2014, the highest individual ODI score in history), and 208* vs Sri Lanka (2017). He captained India to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 title. He opened the batting in Tests from 2019, averaging 53.11 as an opener (vs 37.1 as a middle-order batsman). He announced his T20I retirement on 29 June 2024 after the T20 World Cup Final.
Read explainerWasim Akram: 502 ODI Wickets, Reverse Swing, and the 1992 World Cup Final
Wasim Akram was born on 3 June 1966 in Lahore, Pakistan. He played 104 Tests (1985–2002), taking 414 wickets at 23.62, and 356 ODIs, taking 502 wickets at 23.52 — the most ODI wickets by any fast bowler in history. He is widely credited with perfecting reverse swing: the technique of making an old, rough ball swing toward the shiny side, opposite to conventional swing. In the 1992 World Cup Final at Melbourne, he took 3/49 including the wickets of Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis in consecutive deliveries that defined the match. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
Read explainerViv Richards: 8,540 Test Runs, the Fastest ODI Century, and West Indian Batting at Its Peak
Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards was born on 7 March 1952 in St John's, Antigua. He played 121 Tests (1974–1991), scoring 8,540 runs at 50.23 with 24 centuries. He scored the fastest ODI century in history: 56 balls vs England at Antigua on 31 March 1986, a record that stood for 29 years (until AB de Villiers scored 50 balls in 2015). His Test strike rate of 47.61 was the highest of any batsman to score 8,000+ Test runs in the pre-T20 era, reflecting an aggressive middle-order style. He captained West Indies from 1985 to 1991 and was never dismissed for a duck in a Test century partnership. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
Read explainerShane Warne: 708 Test Wickets, the Ball of the Century, and the Revival of Leg-Spin Bowling
Shane Keith Warne was born on 13 September 1969 in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia. He played 145 Tests (1992–2007), taking 708 wickets at 25.41 — the second-highest wicket tally in Test history. His first delivery in Ashes cricket, to Mike Gatting at Old Trafford on 4 June 1993 — which drifted in, pitched well outside leg stump, and turned to clip off bail — is universally known as the 'Ball of the Century'. He also scored 3,154 Test runs at 17.32. He is widely credited with single-handedly reviving leg-spin bowling as a viable Test match discipline after it had been in decline since Richie Benaud's era. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2013.
Read explainerMuttiah Muralitharan: 800 Test Wickets, the Doosra, and the Greatest Wicket-Taker in History
Muttiah Muralitharan was born on 17 April 1972 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He played 133 Tests (1992–2010), taking 800 wickets at 22.72 — the most Test wickets by any bowler in history. He also took 534 ODI wickets — the most by any bowler. He bowled off-spin augmented by the 'doosra' (a delivery that turns the other way) and an unusual straight-arm action (due to a congenital elbow defect that prevents him fully extending his arm). He was called for throwing by Australian umpire Darrell Hair in 1995 and 1999; the ICC subsequently cleared him following biomechanical analysis. He took his 800th wicket with his last Test wicket, retiring in 2010. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2014.
Read explainerBrian Lara: 400* Test Record, 375 Before It, and 501* in First-Class Cricket
Brian Charles Lara was born on 2 May 1969 in Cantaro, Santa Cruz, Trinidad. He played 131 Tests (1990–2006), scoring 11,953 runs at 52.88 with 34 centuries. He holds both the highest individual score in Test cricket history — 400* vs England at Antigua on 12 April 2004 — and the highest score in first-class cricket: 501* for Warwickshire vs Durham on 6 June 1994. He first set the Test record with 375 vs England at Antigua in April 1994, a score that was overtaken by Matthew Hayden in 2003 before Lara reclaimed it with 400* in 2004. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2012.
Read explainerThe Kolkata 2001 Follow-On: Dravid 180 and Laxman 281
The third Test between India and Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata from 11 to 15 March 2001 is considered the greatest Test comeback in history. Australia enforced the follow-on when India were bowled out for 171 in reply to Australia's 445 (Steve Waugh 110, Matthew Hayden 97). In their second innings, VVS Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) added 376 for the sixth wicket — the highest partnership in Test cricket at the time for that wicket. India declared at 657/7 and bowled out Australia for 212. India won by 171 runs — the first time in 16 years that a team following on had won a Test. The partnership ended Australia's record unbeaten run of 16 consecutive Test wins.
Read explainerGarfield Sobers: 365 Not Out in Tests and the Greatest All-Round Career in Cricket History
Sir Garfield Sobers scored 365 not out for West Indies vs Pakistan at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica from 26 to 29 February 1958 — the then-world record Test innings. Sobers was 21 years old and batted for 614 minutes. The record stood for 36 years until Brian Lara scored 375 at Antigua in 1994. As a cricketer, Sobers is universally rated the greatest all-rounder in cricket history: 8,032 Test runs (WI record at retirement) at 57.78, 235 Test wickets using three different bowling methods (orthodox left-arm spin, left-arm wrist spin, and genuine left-arm fast-medium), and 109 Test catches. He was knighted in 1975. In 1968, Sobers became the first batsman to hit six sixes in one over (off Malcolm Nash in Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan at Swansea).
Read explainerMalcolm Marshall: 376 Test Wickets and the Most Technically Complete Fast Bowler in Cricket
Malcolm Denzil Marshall played 81 Tests for West Indies between 1978 and 1991, taking 376 wickets at an average of 20.94 — the lowest bowling average of any fast bowler with over 200 Test wickets. Marshall stood only 5 ft 11 in and bowled at over 90 mph, combining extreme pace with swing, seam movement, and a capacity to bowl a rapid inswinging yorker that was virtually unplayable. He was part of the West Indies fast-bowling quartet of the 1980s alongside Joel Garner, Michael Holding, and Colin Croft (and later Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh). In 1984, batting with a broken thumb in a cast, Marshall took 7/53 against England at Headingley. He died of colon cancer in November 1999, aged 41.
Read explainerKumar Sangakkara: 12,400 Test Runs and Four Consecutive World Cup Centuries
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara played 134 Tests for Sri Lanka between 2000 and 2015, scoring 12,400 runs at 57.40 — the second-most Test runs in history behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921). In the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Sangakkara became the only batsman in history to score four consecutive World Cup centuries: 105 vs Bangladesh, 117* vs England, 124 vs Australia, 105* vs Scotland. Sri Lanka reached the quarter-finals. Sangakkara was also a world-class wicketkeeper and scored 14,234 ODI runs (second only to Tendulkar at the time of his retirement). He retired from Test cricket in August 2015 after the second Test against India at Colombo.
Read explainerBen Stokes at Headingley 2019: 135 Not Out
The third Ashes Test between England and Australia at Headingley, Leeds from 22 to 25 August 2019 produced the most dramatic last-wicket partnership in Ashes history. England, set 359 to win, were 286/9 when Ben Stokes came together with last man Jack Leach. Stokes scored 135 not out; Leach scored 1 not out off 17 balls (protecting his wicket). England won by 1 wicket to stay in the Ashes series. The partnership of 76 runs off 65 balls — with Stokes scoring all 75 meaningful runs — included six sixes in the final stages. Pat Cummins had taken 6/83. The match is widely considered the greatest Test match comeback in English cricket history and one of the top five Test innings of all time.
Read explainerSunil Gavaskar: First to 10,000 Test Runs and India's Greatest Opening Batsman
Sunil Manohar Gavaskar played 125 Tests for India between 1971 and 1987, scoring 10,122 runs at 51.12 — becoming the first batsman in history to reach 10,000 Test runs. He scored 34 Test centuries, which was the world record at retirement. His debut series against West Indies in 1971 produced 774 runs in four Tests. He faced the fearsome West Indies pace quartet of the 1970s and 1980s — Marshall, Holding, Roberts, Garner — largely without a helmet, never flinching. His 221 at The Oval in 1979 guided India to their first ever away victory against England, chasing 438. Gavaskar is considered the technical and temperamental archetype of Indian opening batsmanship.
Read explainerICC Men's T20 World Cup 2010: England's First Major Trophy
The 2010 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was held in the West Indies in April–May 2010. England, captained by Paul Collingwood, defeated Australia in the final at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on 16 May 2010. Australia batted first and scored 147/6 in 20 overs. England chased 148 and won by 7 wickets with Craig Kieswetter scoring 63 off 49 balls. Kevin Pietersen contributed 47 off 31 balls. England's victory was their first ICC major tournament title since the 2010 tournament gave them the T20 WC trophy. The tournament also featured an unexpected run from Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Read explainerDennis Lillee: 355 Test Wickets, the Back Injury Comeback, and the Art of Fast Bowling
Dennis Keith Lillee played 70 Tests for Australia between 1971 and 1984, taking 355 wickets at 23.92 — at the time the world record for Test wickets, since surpassed. He was diagnosed with stress fractures of the back in 1973 and told by doctors he may never bowl fast again. He rehabilitated over 14 months and returned for the 1974-75 Ashes series to demolish England alongside Jeff Thomson. Lillee and Rod Marsh formed cricket's most celebrated wicketkeeper-bowler combination, taking 95 Test dismissals together. Lillee is considered by many analysts the greatest fast bowler in cricket history — combining extreme pace with developed late-career swing and cut at sustained speed.
Read explainerICC Champions Trophy 2004: West Indies Beat England by 2 Wickets at Edgbaston
The 2004 ICC Champions Trophy was held in England in September 2004. The final was played at Edgbaston, Birmingham on 25 September 2004 between England and West Indies. England batted first and scored 217/6 in 50 overs. West Indies chased down the target and won by 2 wickets with overs to spare, completing a famous triumph against the home nation. The victory gave West Indies their first Champions Trophy title. Shivnarine Chanderpaul played a key role for West Indies as they navigated the chase under pressure. The 2004 CT was a triumph of West Indian batting depth over England's home-conditions advantage.
Read explainerJacques Kallis: 13,289 Test Runs, 292 Wickets
Jacques Henry Kallis played 166 Tests for South Africa between 1995 and 2013, scoring 13,289 runs at 55.37 with 45 centuries and taking 292 wickets at 32.65. He is the only cricketer other than Garfield Sobers to have scored 10,000+ Test runs and taken 250+ Test wickets, and the analytical consensus places him and Sobers as the two greatest all-rounders in the history of the game. Kallis also took 200 catches in Tests. He won the ICC Test Player of the Year award multiple times and was a cornerstone of South Africa's consistency as the top-ranked Test nation from the late 1990s through the 2000s.
Read explainerICC Cricket World Cup 2011: India Win at Wankhede
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final was played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 2 April 2011 between India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274/6 in 50 overs, with Mahela Jayawardene scoring 103 not out. India, chasing 275, lost Sachin Tendulkar (18) and Virender Sehwag (0) early before Gautam Gambhir (97) and MS Dhoni (91 not out) added 109 for the fourth wicket. Dhoni hit Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on for six to win the match with 10 balls remaining. India won by 6 wickets. It was India's second World Cup title, 28 years after their first in 1983. The image of Dhoni's winning six is one of cricket's most iconic photographs.
Read explainerRicky Ponting: 13,378 Test Runs, Most Successful Test Captain, and Australia's Greatest Batsman
Ricky Thomas Ponting played 168 Tests for Australia between 1995 and 2012, scoring 13,378 runs at 51.85 with 41 centuries — the second-most Test runs in history at retirement, behind only Sachin Tendulkar's 15,921. As Test captain (2004–2011), he won 77 of his 104 Tests — the highest winning percentage (74%) among captains with 50+ Tests in cricket history. He led Australia to ICC Cricket World Cup victories in 2003 (scoring 140* in the final vs India) and 2007. Ponting's aggressive pull shot, technical precision, and ability to score in all conditions made him the defining batsman of Australian cricket's golden era.
Read explainerICC Men's T20 World Cup 2012: West Indies Win Their First T20 Title
The 2012 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was held in Sri Lanka in September–October 2012. West Indies won their first T20 World Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 7 October 2012. West Indies batted first and scored 137/6 in 20 overs, with Marlon Samuels scoring 78 not out from 56 balls. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 101 in 18.4 overs — West Indies won by 36 runs. West Indies captain Darren Sammy lifted the trophy. The win gave Caribbean cricket a major ICC title for the first time since the 2004 Champions Trophy.
Read explainerIan Botham: 383 Test Wickets, 5,200 Runs, and Botham's Ashes 1981
Ian Terence Botham played 102 Tests for England between 1977 and 1992, taking 383 wickets at 28.40 and scoring 5,200 runs at 33.54 — England's greatest all-rounder and one of the most naturally gifted cricketers in history. The 1981 Ashes is known as 'Botham's Ashes': England trailed 1-0 when Botham resigned the captaincy; in the next four Tests he scored 149* at Headingley (after England had followed on), 118 at Old Trafford, and took five-wicket hauls in consecutive Tests. England won the series 3-1. He was made a life peer (Baron Botham of Ravensworth) in 2023.
Read explainerICC Cricket World Cup 1983: India's First Title
The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup final was played at Lord's, London on 25 June 1983 between India and West Indies. West Indies, the two-time defending champions, were heavy favourites. India, captained by Kapil Dev, batted first and scored 183 all out in 60 overs. West Indies, chasing 184, were bowled out for 140 — India won by 43 runs. Kapil Dev took the most famous catch in cricket history to dismiss Viv Richards for 33. Mohinder Amarnath was man of the match with 26 runs and 3/12. The win transformed Indian cricket and is considered the catalyst for cricket's shift of its commercial and competitive centre of gravity to the subcontinent.
Read explainerVivian Richards: 8,540 Test Runs, Fastest Test Century (56 Balls), and the 1979 World Cup
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards played 121 Tests for West Indies between 1974 and 1991, scoring 8,540 runs at 50.23 with 24 centuries. He held the record for the fastest Test century — 56 balls against England at Antigua in 1986 — until 2014. He captained West Indies from 1985 to 1991, leading them to series wins in England, Australia, India, and Pakistan without losing a series. He was one of the most destructive and feared batsmen in cricket history, famous for batting without a helmet and for his ability to decimate any bowling attack on any surface.
Read explainerICC Cricket World Cup 1987: Australia's First Title at Eden Gardens
The 1987 ICC Cricket World Cup was the fourth edition of the tournament and the first held outside England, co-hosted by India and Pakistan. It was also the first World Cup played over 50 overs per side rather than 60. Australia won their first World Cup title, defeating England by 7 runs in the final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 8 November 1987. Australia scored 253/5; England fell short on 246/8. David Boon scored 75 and Mike Veletta made 45 not out from 31 balls. Allan Border captained Australia; Mike Gatting captained England.
Read explainerShane Warne: 708 Test Wickets, Ball of the Century, and the 2005 Ashes
Shane Keith Warne played 145 Tests for Australia between 1992 and 2007, taking 708 wickets at 25.41 — the second-highest wicket tally in Test cricket history (behind Muttiah Muralitharan's 800). His first ball in Ashes cricket — the 'Ball of the Century' at Old Trafford in 1993 — dismissed Mike Gatting with a leg-break that pitched 18 inches outside leg stump and hit the top of off stump. In the 2005 Ashes (won by England 2-1), Warne took 40 wickets — the most wickets in a series by a spinner in Ashes cricket — and was named Player of the Series despite being on the losing side. He died on 4 March 2022, aged 52.
Read explainerICC Cricket World Cup 1992: Pakistan's Title
The 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, was the first World Cup played with coloured clothing, white balls, and day-night matches. Pakistan, captained by Imran Khan, won their only World Cup title, defeating England by 22 runs in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 25 March 1992. Pakistan scored 249/6; England were dismissed for 227. Wasim Akram took 3/49, including two consecutive wickets in consecutive balls in the 34th over. Imran Khan scored 72 and rallied the team with his famous 'cornered tigers' speech when Pakistan were on the verge of elimination.
Read explainerWasim Akram: 414 Test Wickets, 502 ODI Wickets, and the Art of Reverse Swing
Wasim Akram played 104 Tests for Pakistan between 1985 and 2002, taking 414 wickets at 23.62 — the most Test wickets ever taken by a left-arm fast bowler. In ODIs, he took 502 wickets in 356 matches at 23.52 — the world record for ODI wickets at his retirement. He was the pioneer and greatest exponent of reverse swing, the ability to swing an older ball in the opposite direction to conventional swing. He took 18 wickets in the 1992 World Cup, including the two match-winning consecutive deliveries in the final that dismissed Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis.
Read explainerICC Men's T20 World Cup 2014: Sri Lanka's First Outright ICC Title
The 2014 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was held in Bangladesh from 16 March to 6 April 2014. Sri Lanka won their first outright ICC tournament title, defeating India by 6 wickets in the final at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur. India scored 130/4; Sri Lanka chased 131 in 17.5 overs. Kumar Sangakkara scored 52 not out. Mahela Jayawardene, retiring from T20 internationals, scored 24 not out to finish his T20I career with a World Cup winners' medal. Lasith Malinga took 3/26. Sri Lanka were captained by Lasith Malinga.
Read explainerMuttiah Muralitharan: 800 Test Wickets
Muttiah Muralitharan played 133 Tests for Sri Lanka between 1992 and 2010, taking 800 wickets at 22.72 — the all-time world record in Test cricket. He also took 534 ODI wickets in 350 matches at 23.08 — the ODI world record at retirement. He was an off-break bowler who also developed the doosra (a delivery that turns away from the right-hand batter like a leg-break, bowled with an off-spin wrist action) and the topspinner. His bowling action generated controversy throughout his career — he was twice called for throwing (no-balling), and the ICC cleared him twice after biomechanical testing. He retired from Test cricket on 22 July 2010, taking his 800th wicket with his final ball.
Read explainerAnil Kumble: 619 Test Wickets and 10/74 vs Pakistan
Anil Kumble played 132 Tests for India between 1990 and 2008, taking 619 wickets at 29.65 — the third-highest wicket tally in Test cricket history and the most by any Indian bowler. On 7 February 1999, he became only the second bowler in 117 years of Test cricket to take all 10 wickets in a single innings: 10/74 against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. His only other predecessor was Jim Laker, who took 10/53 for England against Australia in 1956. Kumble was a leg-spin bowler who relied on accuracy, bounce, and subtle variations rather than large turn.
Read explainerGlenn McGrath: 563 Test Wickets and the Science of Bowling Line and Length
Glenn McGrath played 124 Tests for Australia between 1993 and 2007, taking 563 wickets at 21.64 — the most wickets by any pace bowler in Test history. He took 157 wickets in 30 Ashes Tests against England, and his pre-series predictions (he predicted Australia would beat England 5-0 each Ashes series, and was wrong only in 2005) became cricket folklore. He was named Player of the Tournament at the 1999 and 2007 World Cups. His bowling philosophy — pitching full, on off stump, at relentless pace and with unerring accuracy — became the template for Australian fast bowling through the 1990s and 2000s.
Read explainerICC Cricket World Cup 1999: Australia's Dominant Win at Lord's
The 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup was the seventh edition of the tournament, hosted by England with matches also at the Oval and other UK grounds. Australia, captained by Steve Waugh, defeated Pakistan in the final at Lord's on 20 June 1999, winning by 8 wickets. Pakistan were bowled out for 132 in 39 overs; Australia chased 133 in 20.1 overs. Shane Warne took 4/33 — his best figures in ODI cricket — and was named Player of the Tournament with 20 wickets across the competition. Australia went unbeaten through the tournament, winning all 11 of their matches.
Read explainerBrian Lara: 400 Not Out
Brian Charles Lara played 131 Tests for West Indies between 1990 and 2006, scoring 11,953 runs at 52.88 with 34 centuries. He holds the world record for the highest individual Test score: 400 not out against England at Antigua in April 2004, surpassing his own previous record of 375 set against England at the same ground in April 1994. He is the only batter to hold the Test record twice. He also scored 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham in first-class cricket in 1994, the highest individual score in first-class history.
Read explainerFoundation — Cricket Guides
Cricket is one of the world's great team sports — complex enough that a lifetime of watching reveals new layers, but accessible enough that the basics can be grasped in a single afternoon. This collection covers everything from how the game is set up to the fine details of technique that separate the world's best players.
A cricket match is played on an oval field with a rectangular strip of closely mown grass — the pitch — at its centre. Two teams of eleven take turns to bat and bowl. The batting team tries to score runs; the fielding team tries to take ten wickets and limit the runs conceded. The bowler delivers the ball from one end of the 22-yard pitch to the batter at the other end, who defends a set of three wooden stumps (with two bails on top). A run is scored when the batting pair — two batters on the field at all times — run between the wickets; a boundary four or six is scored by hitting the ball to or over the fence. These fundamentals have been unchanged for over two hundred years.
Batting technique combines footwork, head position, grip, and timing. The basic shots — the defensive block, the drive (on-drive, cover drive, straight drive), the cut, the pull, the sweep, and the hook — each require a different initial movement and bat path. Modern T20 cricket has added the ramp, the switch hit, and the scoop to the batting vocabulary. The difference between a batter succeeding in Tests and struggling in T20Is (or vice versa) is often one of intent and weight distribution, not raw skill: Test batting demands patience and leaving the ball correctly, while T20 batting rewards early positional adjustment and a willingness to play through the line.
Bowling is divided into pace (fast and medium-fast) and spin (off-spin and leg-spin, plus variations like the doosra, googly, carrom ball, and flipper). Pace bowlers use seam movement (the ball moving off the pitch) and swing (movement through the air) to beat the batter's defences; spin bowlers use turn off the pitch and drift through the air. The most challenging bowling is reverse swing — a worn ball moving into or away from the batter at pace — first pioneered by Sarfraz Nawaz and made famous by Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. The fastest deliveries ever recorded exceed 160 km/h; elite spinners can generate 2,500+ rpm of spin to turn the ball sharply off a dry, used pitch.
Fielding, once cricket's most neglected discipline, is now a match-winning skill. The modern fielding team is expected to stop every ball at the boundary, take acrobatic catches, and execute direct-hit run-outs within fractions of a second. The 12th man (first substitute) can field but cannot bat or bowl. Wicketkeeping — standing up to the stumps for spin or back for pace — is the most technically demanding fielding role: a world-class keeper like Adam Gilchrist or MS Dhoni is worth 50+ extra runs per match through takes, stumpings, and reaction catches. This Foundation category covers all of this and more across 4,500+ guides — from the absolute beginner's first questions to the tactical debates that occupy professional coaching staffs.
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