The team played its first international match on 25June 1932 in a Test against England at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, becoming the sixth team to be granted Test cricket status. India's first Test victory was in 1952, and success was limited in the team's first fifty years of international cricket, with only 35 wins in 196 Tests.[10] However, they gained strength in the 1970s with the emergence of the Indian spin quartet, and players like Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath, and Kapil Dev. In men's limited-overs cricket, India made its ODI debut against England in 1974 and its T20I debut against South Africa in 2006.
India's men's national cricket team has won five major ICC tournaments, winning the Cricket World Cup twice (1983 and 2011),[11] the ICC T20 World Cup once (2007) and the ICC Champions Trophy twice (2002 and 2013). They have also finished as runners-up in the World Cup twice (2003 and 2023), the T20 World Cup once (2014), the Champions Trophy twice (2000 and 2017) and the ICC World Test Championship finals in the first two editions (2021, 2023). India was the second team (after the West Indies) to win the World Cup, and the first to win the competition on home soil after winning it in 2011.
They have won the Asia Cup eight times, in 1984, 1988, 1990–91, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2023; and have finished runners-up three times (1997, 2004, 2008). India also won a gold medal in the 2022 Asian Games. Other achievements include winning the ICC Test Championship Mace five times and the ICC ODI Championship Shield once. As of May2024[update], the team is top of the ICC rankings for ODIs and T20Is and second in tests behind Australian Cricket Team.[12] With such success, it is one of the most successful teams in international cricket.[13]
The British brought cricket to India in the early 1700s, with the first cricket match played in 1721.[14] It was played and adopted by Kolis of Gujarat because they were sea pirates and outlaws who always loot the British ships so East India Company tried to manage the Kolis in cricket and been successful.[15][16][17] In 1848, the Parsi community in Mumbai formed the Oriental Cricket Club, the first cricket club to be established by Indians. After slow beginnings, the Europeans eventually invited the Parsis to play a match in 1877.[18] By 1912, the Parsis, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims of Bombay played a quadrangular tournament with the Europeans every year.[18] In the early 1900s, some Indians went on to play for the England cricket team. Some of these, such as Ranjitsinhji and Duleepsinhji were greatly appreciated by the British and their names went on to be used for the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy – two major first-class tournaments in India. In 1911, an Indian men's cricket team, captained by Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, went on their first official tour of the British Isles, but only played English county teams and not the England cricket team.[19][20]
India was invited to the International Cricket Council in 1926, and made their debut as a Test playing nation in England in 1932, led by CK Nayudu, who was considered the best Indian batsman at the time.[21] The one-off Test match between the two sides was played at Lord's in London. The team was not strong in their batting[22] at this point and went on to lose by 158 runs.[23] India hosted its first men's Test cricket series in 1933. England was the visiting team that played two Tests in Bombay (now Mumbai) and Calcutta (now Kolkata). The visitors won the series 2–0. The Indian team continued to improve throughout the 1930s and 1940s but did not achieve an international victory during this period. In the early 1940s, India did not play any men's Test cricket due to World War II. The team's first series as an independent country was in late 1947 against Don Bradman's Australian cricket team in England in 1948 (a name given to the Australia national cricket team of that time). It was also the first Test series India played which was not against England. Australia men's cricket team won the five-match series 4–0, with Bradman tormenting the Indian bowling in his final Australian summer.[24] India subsequently played their first Test series at home not against England, but against the West Indies in 1948. West Indies won the five Test series 1–0.[25]
India recorded their first Test victory, in their 24th match, against England at Madras in 1952.[27] Later in the same year, they won their first Test series, which was against Pakistan.[28] They continued their improvement throughout the early 1950s with a series win against New Zealand in 1956. However, they did not win again in the remainder of the decade and lost badly to strong Australian and English sides. On 24August 1959, India lost by an innings in the Test to complete the only 5–0 whitewash ever inflicted by England.[29] The next decade saw India's reputation develop as a team with a strong record at home. They won their first Test series against England at home in 1961–62 and also won a home series against New Zealand. They managed to draw home series against Pakistan and Australia and another series against England. In this same period, India also won its first series outside the subcontinent, against New Zealand in 1967–68.[30]
The advent of men's One Day International (ODI) cricket in 1971 created a new dimension in the cricket world. However, India was not considered strong in ODIs at this point and batsmen such as the captain Gavaskar were known for their defensive approach to batting. India began as a weak team in ODIs and did not qualify for the second round in the first two editions of the Cricket World Cup.[36] Gavaskar infamously blocked his way to 36 not out off 174 balls against England in the first World Cup in 1975; India scored just 132 for 3 and lost by 202 runs.[37]
In contrast, India fielded a strong team in Test matches and was particularly strong at home, where their combination of stylish batsmen and beguiling spinners were at their best. India set a then Test record in the third Test against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1976, when they chased 403 to win, thanks to 112 from Viswanath.[38] In November 1976, the team established another record by scoring 524 for 9 declared against New Zealand at Kanpur without any individual batsman scoring a century.[39] There were six fifties, the highest being 70 by Mohinder Amarnath.[40] This innings was only the eighth instance in Test cricket where all eleven batsmen reached double figures.[41]
Graph showing India's Test match results against all Test match teams from 1932 to September 2006
During the 1980s, India developed a more attack-minded batting line-up with stroke makers such as the wristy Mohammad Azharuddin, Dilip Vengsarkar and all-rounders Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri. India won the Cricket World Cup in 1983, defeating the favourites and the two-time defending champions West Indies in the final at Lord's, owing to a strong bowling performance. In spite of this, the team performed poorly in the Test arena, including 28 consecutive Test matches without a victory. In 1984, India won the Asia Cup and in 1985, won the World Championship of Cricket in Australia. Apart from this, India remained a weak team outside the Indian subcontinent. India's Test series victory in 1986 against England remained the last Test series win by India outside the subcontinent for the next 19 years. The 1980s saw Gavaskar and Kapil Dev (India's best all-rounder to date) at the pinnacle of their careers. Gavaskar made a Test record 34 centuries as he became the first man to reach the 10,000 run mark. Kapil Dev later became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 434 wickets.[42] The period was also marked by an unstable leadership, with Gavaskar and Kapil exchanging the captaincy several times.[43][44]
The addition of Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble to the national side in 1989 and 1990 further improved the team. The following year, Javagal Srinath, India's fastest bowler since Amar Singh made his debut. Despite this, during the 1990s, India did not win any of its 33 Tests outside the subcontinent while it won 17 out of its 30 Tests at home. After being eliminated by neighbours Sri Lanka on home soil at the 1996 Cricket World Cup semi-final, the team underwent a year of change as Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, later to become captains of the team, made their debut in the same Test at Lord's. Tendulkar replaced Azharuddin as captain in late 1996, but after a personal and team form slump, Tendulkar relinquished the captaincy and Azharuddin was reinstated at the beginning of 1998.[45]
With 619 wickets, Anil Kumble is the world's fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests and India's highest Test and ODI wicket-taker.
After failing to reach the semi-finals at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, Tendulkar was again made captain, and had another poor run, losing 3–0 on a tour of Australia and then 2–0 at home to South Africa. Tendulkar resigned, vowing never to captain the team again.
The team was further damaged in 2000 when former captain Azharuddin and fellow batsman Ajay Jadeja were implicated in a match-fixing scandal and given life and five-year bans respectively.[47][48] This period was described by the BBC as "the Indian cricket's worst hour".[49] However, the new core – Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble and Ganguly – swore not to let this happen to them again, and led Indian cricket out of the dark times. The first three put aside personal ambitions to let Ganguly lead them into a new era.[50]
The Indian team underwent major improvements under the captaincy of Ganguly and the guidance of John Wright, India's first foreign coach.[51][52] In the Kolkata Test match, India became only the third team in the history of Test cricket to win a Test match after following on. Australian captainSteve Waugh labelled India as the "Final Frontier" because of his side's inability to win a Test series in India.[53] In 2002, India were joint-winners of the ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka and then went to the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, where they reached the final, only to be beaten by Australia. A convincing ODI series win in Pakistan in early 2006, following a loss in the Test series, gave India the world record of 17 successive ODI victories while batting second.[54]
Indian players celebrating after taking a wicket against New Zealand in 2010
In the 2014 ICC Men's World Twenty20 hosted in Bangladesh, India narrowly missed out on another ICC trophy by losing to Sri Lanka in the final.[60] India was knocked out of the 2015 Cricket World Cup in the semi-final to eventual winners Australia.[61] India then began 2016 by winning the 2016 Asia Cup, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.[62] The team were favourites to win the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, which was being held at home, but lost in the semi-final to eventual champions West Indies.[63] India defeated Pakistan in their first game of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy but lost to the same opponents in the final, the first time they had met at this stage of a tournament since 2007.[64][65]
The Indian team's next major global tournament was the 2019 Cricket World Cup where the team finished first in the group stage with seven wins and only one loss which came against host nation England.[66] They made the semis but lost to New Zealand by 18 runs.[67]Rohit Sharma was the highest run-scorer for the team with 648 runs. India played the 2021 ICC World Test Championship Final against New Zealand in Southampton in which they lost by eight wickets.[68] India qualified for the semi-finals in the 2022 T20 World Cup, but lost to England by ten wickets.
[73]India in their first game of Cricket World Cup 2023, defeated Australia by six wickets, but after defeating New Zealand in the semi-finals by 70 runs, they lost to their same opponent Australia in the final by six wickets, resulting in another win for the Aussies and lifting the World Cup after eight years for the sixth time. Virat Kohli was the highest run scorer of the ODI World Cup with 765 runs. Additionally, Kohli made history by achieving his 50th ODI century at the Cricket World Cup.[74]
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the governing body for the Indian cricket team and first-class cricket in India. The Board has been operating since 1929 and represents India at the International Cricket Council (ICC). Its headquarters is situated in the 'Cricket centre' at Churchgate in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Amongst the richest sporting organisations in the world, it sold media rights for India's matches from 2006 to 2010 for $612,000,000.[75]Roger Binny is present BCCI president and Jay Shah is secretary.
The International Cricket Council determines India's upcoming matches through its future tours program. However, the BCCI, with its influential financial position in the cricketing world, has often challenged the ICC's program and called for more series between India, Australia and England which are more likely to earn more revenue as opposed to tours with Bangladesh or Zimbabwe.[76] In the past, the BCCI has also come into conflict with the ICC regarding sponsorships.[77]
Selection for the Indian cricket team occurs through the BCCI's zonal selection policy, where each of the five zones is represented by one selector and one of the members nominated by BCCI as the chairman of the selection committee. This has sometimes led to controversy as to whether these selectors are biased towards their zones.[78]
On 17 February 2023, Sharma resigned from his post after a sting operation by a private news channel saw him make several loose comments on the Indian team with Shiv Sunder Das replacing him and acting as an interim chief selector.[81]
On 4 July 2023, Ajit Agarkar was appointed as the new chief selector and replaced Sharma.[82] He joined Das, Banerjee, Ankola and Sharath on the selection committee.[83]
Team colours
India plays its Test cricket matches with the traditional cricket whites with navy blue caps and helmets. The uniforms worn in limited-overs matches have different shades of blue for ODIs and T20Is, with sometimes a splash of the colours that are present in the Indian flag.[84]
During the 1992 and 1999 Cricket World Cups, the Indian team's kit was sponsored by ISC and ASICS respectively,[85][86] but had been without an official kit sponsor until 2001. With no official kit sponsor for the Indian team, Omtex manufactured the shirts and pants for the team, while some players chose to wear pants provided to them by their individual sponsors like Adidas and Reebok until December 2005.
In December 2005, Nike outbid its competitors Adidas and Reebok, and acquired the contract for five years which started in January 2006 ahead of Indian team's tour to Pakistan.[87] Nike was a long time kit supplier to team India with two extensions for a period of five years each time; in 2011[88] and 2016[89] respectively.
After Nike ended its contract in September 2020,[90] MPL Sports Apparel & Accessories, a subsidiary of online gaming platform Mobile Premier League replaced Nike as the kit manufacturer in November 2020 ahead of Indian team's tour to Australia, which was supposed to run until December 2023.[91][92]
In November 2022, MPL Sports decided to exit the deal before the end of their contract and hand over their rights to Kewal Kiran Clothing Limited (KKCL).[93]
In January 2023, MPL appointed Kewal Kiran Clothing Limited (KKCL) and Killer Jeans (a brand owned by KKCL) as interim sponsors until May 2023.[94][95]
In February 2023, it was announced that Adidas will begin a five-year sponsorship deal in June 2023 ahead of ICC World Test Championship final, replacing KKCL.[96]
In May 2023, BCCI officially announced Adidas as their kit sponsor for the next five years running until March 2028.[97][98][99]
Dream11 (Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd.) was announced as the sponsor for the team on 1July 2023.[102] Their sponsorship is supposed to run until 31March 2026 for a period of three years.[103]
Previously, BYJU's was the sponsor for the Indian team from 5September 2019 until 31March 2023, after OPPO handed over the rights to them.[104]
OPPO's sponsorship was supposed to run from 2017 until 2022, but they handed over to BYJU's. On 7March 2022, BYJU's extended its sponsorship for one year.[105][106]
Previously, the Indian team has been sponsored by BYJU's from September 2019 until March 2023, OPPO from May 2017 until August 2019, Star India from January 2014 until March 2017,[107]Sahara India Pariwar from June 2001 until December 2013 [108][109] and ITC Limited (with Wills and ITC Hotels brands) from June 1993 until May 2001.[110][111]
Official partners
On 9 January 2024, BCCI announced Campa and Atomberg Technologies as official partners for its domestic & international season during 2024–26.[112]
On 20 September 2023, BCCI announced SBI Life as the official partner for its domestic & international season during 2023–26.[113]
In August 2023, IDFC First Bank replaced Mastercard as the current title sponsor for all international and domestic matches played in India for the 2023–26 season.[114]
The title sponsorship was initially given to Paytm for all matches played between 2015 and 2023 [115] but they handed over to Mastercard in 2022.
On 30 August 2019, following the conclusion of the expression of interest process for official partners' rights, the BCCI announced that Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Dream11), LafargeHolcim (ACC Cements, and Ambuja Cements) and Hyundai Motors India Ltd. have acquired the official partners' rights for the BCCI International and Domestic matches during 2019–2023.[116]
Viacom18 is the official broadcaster until March 2028 for all the men's international and domestic matches played in India.[119][120]Sports18 telecasts the international and domestic matches on TV, while it is live streamed on JioCinema as OTT (over the top) platform.[121]
Locations of active international stadiums in India
There are numerous world-renowned cricket stadiums located in India. Most grounds are under the administration of various state cricket boards as opposed to being under the control of the BCCI. The Bombay Gymkhana was the first ground in India to host a full-scale cricket match featuring an Indian cricket team. This was between the Parsis and the Europeans in 1877. The first stadium to host a Test match in India was also the Gymkhana Ground in Bombay in 1933, the only Test it ever hosted. The second and third Tests in the 1933 series were hosted at Eden Gardens and Chepauk. The Feroz Shah Kotla Ground in Delhi was the first stadium to host a Test match after independence, a draw against the West Indies in 1948, the first of a five-Test series. There are 21 stadiums in India that have hosted at least one official Test match. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of world-class cricket stadiums in India.[122][123]
India currently has the world's largest cricket stadium.[124][125] The Narendra Modi Stadium, is a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Eden Gardens in Kolkata has hosted the most Tests, and also has the third-largest seating capacity of any cricket stadium in the world. Founded in 1864, it is one of the most historical stadiums in India, having hosted numerous historical and controversial matches.[126][127] Other major stadiums in India include the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, which was established in 1883 and hosted memorable matches including Anil Kumble's ten wickets in an innings haul against Pakistan.[128]
The Bombay Gymkhana hosted the first Test match in India which is the only Test it has hosted to date.[129]Wankhede Stadium, established in 1974, has a capacity to hold 33,000 spectators and is currently the most popular venue in the city. It has hosted 24 Test matches. It was the unofficial successor of the Brabourne Stadium, which is also located in Mumbai. Mumbai is often considered the cricketing capital of India because of its fans and the talent it produces (see Mumbai cricket team). Thus the stadium regularly hosts major Test matches.[130] The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk is also considered to be an important historical Indian cricket ground, established in the early 1900s, and it was the site of India's first Test victory.[131]
A total of 35 men have captained the Indian men's cricket team in at least one Test match, although only six have led the team in more than 25 matches, and six have captained the team in men's ODIs but not Tests. India's first captain of the men's cricket team was C. K. Nayudu, who led the team in four matches against England: one in England in 1932 and a series of three matches at home in 1933–34. Lala Amarnath, India's fourth captain of the men's cricket team and the first Indian to score a century in Test cricket while playing for India, led the team in its first Test match after Indian independence. He also captained the side to its first Test victory and first series win, both in a three-match series at home against Pakistan in 1952–53. From 1952 until 1961–62, India men's cricket team had a number of captains such as Vijay Hazare, Polly Umrigar and Nari Contractor.[132][133]
The Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, was the men's team's captain for 36 Test matches from 1961–62 to 1969–70, returning for another four matches against West Indies in 1974–75. In the early years of his captaincy tenure, the team was whitewashed in the West Indies, England and Australia. However, in 1967–68, Pataudi led India men's cricket team on its maiden New Zealand tour, which ended in India winning the Test series 3–1.[134] In 1970–71, Ajit Wadekar took over the captaincy from Pataudi. Under Wadekar's captaincy, India registered its first Test series win in the West Indies and England. India played its first men's ODI in 1974, also under his captaincy.[135] India won its first men's ODI under the captaincy of Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan in the 1975 Cricket World Cup, against East Africa. Between 1975–76 and 1978–79, Bishan Singh Bedi captained the team in 22 men's Tests and four ODIs, winning six Tests and one ODI.[136][137]
Sunil Gavaskar took over as men's Test and ODI captain in 1978–79, leading India in 47 Test matches and 37 ODIs, winning nine Tests and 14 ODIs. He was succeeded by Kapil Dev in the 1980s, who captained for 34 Test matches, including four victories. Kapil Dev led India to victory in 39 of his 74 ODIs in charge, including the 1983 Cricket World Cup. Kapil Dev also captained India's 2–0 Test series victory in England in 1986. Between 1987–88 and 1989–90, India had three captains in Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri and Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Vengsarkar took over the captaincy from Kapil Dev after the 1987 Cricket World Cup. Although he started with two centuries in his first series as captain, his captaincy period was turbulent and he lost the job following a disastrous tour of the West Indies in early 1989 and a stand-off with the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).[138][139]
India has had six regular Test captains of the men's cricket team since Mohammad Azharuddin took charge in 1989. Azharuddin led the team in 47 Test matches from 1989–90 to 1998–99, winning 14, and in 174 ODIs, winning 90. He was followed by Sachin Tendulkar, who captained the men's cricket team in 25 Test matches and 73 ODIs in the late 1990s; Tendulkar was relatively unsuccessful[140][141] as a captain, winning only four Test matches and 23 ODIs.
Sourav Ganguly became the regular captain of the men's team in both Tests and ODIs in 2000.[142] He remained captain until 2005–06 and became the then most successful Indian captain, winning 21 of his 49 Test matches in charge and 76 of his 146 ODIs. Under his captaincy, India became the joint-winners of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka, and the runners-up of the 2003 Cricket World Cup. India lost only three Tests at home under Ganguly and managed to draw Test series in England and Australia. Rahul Dravid took over as men's Test captain in 2005. In 2006, he led India to its first Test series victory in the West Indies in more than 30 years.[143]
In September 2007, MS Dhoni was named as the new captain of the men's ODI and T20I teams, after Dravid stepped down from the post. Soon after taking up the captaincy, Dhoni led the team to the inaugural World men's Twenty20 title. Anil Kumble was appointed Test captain in November 2007, but retired from international cricket in November 2008 after captaining in 14 Tests. Dhoni succeeded him as the men's Test captain, making him the captain in all formats. Under the captaincy of Dhoni, the Indian men's cricket team held the number one position in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings for 21 months (from November 2009 to August 2011), and set a national record for most back-to-back ODI wins (nine straight wins).[144] Dhoni also led the team to victory in 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Thus, Dhoni became the first captain in history to win all three major ICC trophies, namely- the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.[145] However, the team performed poorly in away Tests from 2011 to 2014 and Dhoni retired from Test cricket in December 2014, with Virat Kohli being named as the new Test captain.[146] Dhoni resigned as captain of the ODI and T20I teams in January 2017 and Kohli succeeded him at the position.[147]
Under Kohli's captaincy, India was unbeaten in 19 Test matches, starting from a 3–0 series win over New Zealand and ending with a 2–1 series win over Australia. India also had an unbeaten streak of winning nine consecutive Test series, starting with a 3–0 series win over Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka and ending with a 1–0 series win over Sri Lanka at home. India also became only the third team after Australia and South Africa to have won their most recent Test series simultaneously against all the other Test-playing nations. As per winning percentage in Test matches, Kohli was India's second most successful Test captain, behind Ajinkya Rahane, having won more than 58% of Test matches (at least two games).[148]
In November 2021, Rohit Sharma was appointed as the new T20I captain of the Indian men's cricket team after Kohli resigned from the role.[149] Kohli led India one last time in T20Is at the T20 World Cup 2021. Under Rohit Sharma's first series as permanent captaincy, India whitewashed New Zealand at home in the T20I series 3–0.[150] In December 2021, Sharma was also appointed as the new ODI captain of the Indian men's cricket team, replacing Kohli ahead of their away series against South Africa.[151] Kohli later quit as Test captain as well, after their Test series loss to South Africa.[152]Sharma replaced Kohli as Test captain before the Test series against Sri Lanka[153] and is now the Full-Time Captain of the Indian men's cricket team.
Current squad
Rohit Sharma became captain of India's national cricket team in November 2021.
The BCCI released the list of their 2023–24 annual player contracts on 28February 2024.[154] Players can still be upgraded to a Grade C annual player contract on a pro-rata basis by meeting the criteria of playing a minimum of three Tests or eight ODIs or ten T20Is in the specified period (1October 2023 to 30September 2024).
This is a list of every active player who is contracted to BCCI, has played for India since March 2023 or was named in the recent Test, ODI or T20I squads. Uncapped players are listed in italics.[155]
Last updated: 11 March 2024
Key
Symbol
Meaning
CG
Contract grade with BCCI
No.
Shirt number of the player in all formats
Format
Denotes the player recently played in which particular format, not his entire career
Sachin Tendulkar celebrating his 38th Test century during a match against Australia in 2008. He holds multiple world records including the world's leading run-scorer and century maker in both Tests and ODIs.
Sachin Tendulkar, who began playing for India as a 16-year-old in 1989 and has since become the most prolific run-scorer in the history of both Test and ODI cricket, holds a large number of national batting records. He holds the record of most appearances in both Tests and ODIs, most runs in both Tests and ODIs and most centuries in Tests.[233] The highest score by an Indian is the 319 scored by Virender Sehwag in Chennai. It is the second triple century in Test cricket by an Indian, the first being a 309 also made by Sehwag although against Pakistan. The team's highest ever score was a 759/7 against England at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai in 2016, while its lowest score was 36 against Australia in 2020.[234] In ODIs, the team's highest score is 418/5 against West Indies at Indore in 2011–12. India scored 413–5 in a match against Bermuda in 2007 World Cup which was the highest score ever in Cricket World Cup history at the time. In the same match, India set a world record of the highest winning margin in an ODI match of 257 runs.[235]
India has also had some very strong bowling figures, with spin bowler Anil Kumble being a member of the elite group of four bowlers who have taken 600 Test wickets.[236] In 1999, Kumble emulated Jim Laker to become the second bowler to take all ten wickets in a Test match innings when he took 10 wickets for 74 runs against Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.[237][238]
Many of the Indian cricket team's records are also world records, for example Tendulkar's century tally (in Tests and ODIs) and run tally (also in both Tests and ODIs).[239] Dhoni's 183 not out against Sri Lanka in 2005 is the world record score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs.[240] The Indian cricket team also holds the record sequence of 17 successful run-chases in ODIs,[241] which ended in a dramatic match against the West Indies in May 2006, which India lost by just one run.[242]
Tendulkar was the first batsman to score 200 runs (he was unbeaten on 200 from 147 deliveries including 25 fours and 3 sixes) in a single ODI innings, on 24 February 2010 against South Africa in Gwalior.[243] On 8December 2011, this achievement was eclipsed by compatriot Virender Sehwag, who scored 219 runs from 149 deliveries (25 fours and 7 sixes) versus the West Indies in Indore.[244] On 13November 2014 the record was broken by another Indian opening batsmen, Rohit Sharma, who scored 264 runs from 173 deliveries (33 fours and 9 sixes) against Sri Lanka in Kolkata, West Bengal. In 2013, Dhoni became the first captain in history to win all three major ICC trophies- ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, ICC World Twenty20 in 2007 and ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.[245][246][247][248]
In 2014, Kohli became the first cricketer to win back-to-back Man of the Series awards in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and 2016 ICC World Twenty20. Kohli is also the highest scorer in T20Is as of November2022[update].[249] In 2017, Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest cricketer in history to reach 250 wickets.[250]
Owing to the massive Indian diaspora in nations like Australia, England and South Africa, a large Indian fan turnout is expected whenever India plays in each of these nations. There have been a number of official fan groups that have been formed over the years, including the Swami Army or Indian Army,[251] the Indian equivalent of the Barmy Army, that were very active in their support when India toured Australia in 2003/2004. They are known to attribute a number of popular Indian songs to the cricket team.[252]
Fan rivalry and cross-border tension has created a strong rivalry between the Indian and the Pakistani cricket teams. In tours between these two nations, cricket visas are often employed to accommodate for the tens of thousands of fans wishing to cross the border to watch cricket. This intense fan dedication is one of the major causes of the BCCI's financial success.[253]
However, there are downsides to having such a cricket-loving population. Many Indians hold cricket very close to their hearts and losses are not received well by the Indian population. In some cases, particularly after losses to Pakistan or after a long string of weak performances, there have been reports of player effigies being burnt in the streets and vandalism of player homes.[254] In many cases, players have come under intense attention from the media for negative reasons, this has been considered one of the reasons for Ganguly being left out of the Indian team. At times, when a match is surrounded by controversy, it has resulted in a debacle. For example, when India slid to defeat against Australia at Brabourne Stadium in 1969, fans began throwing stones and bottles onto the field as well as setting fire to the stands, before laying siege to the Australian dressing rooms.[255] During the same tour, a stampede occurred at Eden Gardens when tickets were oversold and India fell to another loss; the Australian team bus was later stoned with bricks.[256] A similar event occurred during the 1996 Cricket World Cup, where India were losing the semi-final to Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens. In this case, the fan behaviour was directed at the Indian team in disappointment at their lacklustre performance. An armed guard had to be placed at the home of captain Mohammad Azharuddin to ensure his safety.[256] In 1999, a riot occurred in a Test against Pakistan at Eden Gardens after a collision with Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar saw Sachin run out, forcing police to eject spectators and the game to be played in an empty stadium.In 2006, a string of low scores resulted in Tendulkar being booed by the Mumbai crowd when he got out against England.[257]
Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, a fan of the Indian cricket team, travels to all Indian home games with his body painted as the Indian flag.
Often, fans engage in protests regarding players if they believe that regionalism has affected selection, or because of regional partisan support for local players. In 2005, when Ganguly was dropped from the team, Ganguly's home town Kolkata erupted in protests.[260] India later played a match against South Africa in Kolkata. The Indian team was booed by the crowd who supported South Africa instead of India in response to Ganguly's dropping.[261] Similar regional divisions in India regarding selection have also caused protests against the team, with political activists from the regional Kalinga Kamgar Sena party in Odisha disrupting the arrival of the team in Cuttack for an ODI over the lack of a local player in the team, with one activist manhandling coach Greg Chappell.[262] Similar treatment was handed to Sunil Gavaskar in the 1987 World Cup Semi Finals by crowds at Wankhede Stadium when he got bowled by Phillip DeFreitas.[257]
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body of cricket in India. Its headquarters is situated at the cricket centre in Churchgate, Mumbai. The BCCI is the wealthiest governing body of cricket in the world.
Mohammed Shami is an Indian international cricketer who serves as a right-arm fast or fast medium bowler, representing India in all formats. He has played for Bengal in domestic cricket and for four teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shami bowls the ball off the seam and uses swing, including reverse swing, to move the ball both directions. He has been reputed to have an edge in the death (slog) overs of a limited-overs innings and, in all formats, has been described as being at times "unplayable". Shami finished as India's leading wicket taker in the ICC World Cup 2023, besides being the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in the 48 years history of Cricket World Cup spanning 13 editions. He is recipient of 2023 Arjuna Award for Cricket.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian professional cricketer. He is a right handed batter and a wicket-keeper. Widely regarded as one of the most prolific wicket-keeper-batsmen and captains, he represented the Indian cricket team and was the captain of the side in limited-overs formats from 2007 to 2017 and in test cricket from 2008 to 2014. Dhoni has captained the most international matches and is the most successful Indian captain. He has led India to victory in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, the only captain to win three different limited overs tournaments. He also led the teams that won the Asia Cup in 2010, 2016 and was a member of the title winning squad in 2018.
Suresh Raina is an Indian former international cricketer. He occasionally served as stand-in captain for Indian men's national cricket team as well as in IPL for Chennai Super Kings during the absence of the main captain, MS Dhoni. He played for Uttar Pradesh (UP) in domestic cricket circuit. He is an aggressive left-handed middle-order batsman and an occasional off-spin bowler. He is the second-youngest player ever to captain India. He was the captain of Gujarat Lions in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he also served as vice-captain of the Chennai Super Kings. He is the first Indian batsman to hit a century in all three formats of international cricket. During his time with India, he won the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Raina made history being the first Indian to score a century in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which he did with his 101 runs against South Africa at the 2010 Tournament.
The India women's national cricket team, also known as Women in Blue, represents India in women's international cricket. It is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and is a full member of International Cricket Council (ICC) with Women's Test cricket, Women's One Day International (WODI), and Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) status.
Mithali Dorai Raj is an Indian former cricketer and was captain of the India women's national cricket team from 2004 to 2022. She is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket, and ESPN ranked her as one of the greatest female cricketers of all time. Raj has received several national and international awards, including the Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World in 2017, Arjuna Award in 2003, the Padma Shri in 2015, and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021.
Rohit Gurunath Sharma is an Indian international cricketer who currently captains the India national cricket team across all formats. He is a right-handed batsman. Considered one of the best batsmen of his generation and one of the greatest opening batters of all time, Sharma is known for his timing, elegance, six-hitting abilities and leadership skills. Sharma holds several batting records which famously include most sixes in international cricket, most double centuries in ODI cricket (3), most centuries at Cricket World Cups (7) and joint most hundreds in Twenty20 Internationals (5). Rohit Sharma is the first player to score 5 T20I centuries. He plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL and for Mumbai in domestic cricket.
Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja is an Indian international cricketer who represents the Indian national cricket team in all formats. He is an all-rounder, who bats left-handed and bowls left-arm orthodox spin. He is regarded as one of the best all-rounders of his generation, becoming the fifth Indian and fifth-fastest player to score 2,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Test cricket in 2021. Jadeja was the leading wicket-taker in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and received the man of the match award as a member of the final-winning team. He represents Saurashtra in first-class cricket and has captained the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. As of August 2023, Ravindra Jadeja is the 7th highest ODI wicket taker for India with 220 wickets.
The India–Pakistan cricket rivalry is one of the most intense sports rivalries in the world. The matches between these neighbouring countries are known for its intensity. It is considered as one of the biggest matches in the world, and is among the most-viewed sport games. It is often termed as the El Clásico of cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin is an Indian international cricketer. He is a right-arm off spin bowler and a lower order batter. Widely regarded as one of the most prolific off spinners of all time, he represents the Indian cricket team and was part of the Indian team that won the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He plays for Tamil Nadu and South Zone in domestic cricket and for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Krishnakumar Dinesh Karthik is an Indian professional cricketer and commentator who plays for the India national cricket team and currently in Indian Premier League playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He is also the current captain of the Tamil Nadu cricket team in domestic cricket. He made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2004. Karthik has become the 4th Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches. Karthik was a member of the team that won both the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Suryakumar Yadav, also known by the initialism SKY, is an Indian international cricketer. He plays as a right-handed middle-order batter and is an occasional right-arm off break bowler. He represents the Indian cricket team and plays for Mumbai in domestic first-class cricket. Suryakumar was a member of the Indian team that finished runner~up in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. He was a part of the Indian squad which won the 2023 Asia Cup. He plays for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is the No.1 T20 batsman.
Kannur Lokesh Rahul is an Indian international cricketer. A right-handed wicket-keeping batsman, Rahul captains the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League. He is an occasional captain of India national cricket team.
Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian cricket team in all formats of the game. A right-arm fast bowler with a unique bowling action, Bumrah is widely regarded as one of the best bowlers in the world and as one of the greatest fast bowlers India has ever produced. He plays for Gujarat in domestic cricket and for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Akshar Rajeshbhai Patel, also spelled as Axar Patel, is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian cricket team in all formats of the game as a bowling All-rounder. He also plays for Gujarat in domestic cricket and for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He is a left-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He was a part of the Indian squads which won the 2018 Asia Cup and the 2023 Asia Cup.
Hardik Himanshu Pandya is an Indian international cricketer who is the current vice-captain of the Indian cricket team in limited overs format. He is the captain of Mumbai Indians in IPL. A batting all-rounder who bowls right-arm fast-medium deliveries, Pandya has represented India in all 3 formats. He occasionally plays for his regional team Baroda in domestic cricket.
Ishan Kishan is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian national cricket team as a wicket-keeper batsman. He made his international debut in March 2021 against England. He plays forJharkhand in domestic cricket. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) he plays for Mumbai Indians.
Deepti Bhagwan Sharma is an Indian cricketer who plays for Bengal, Birmingham Phoenix and India. She is an all-rounder who bats left-handed and bowls right-arm off break and is currently ranked 3rd in the top all-rounders in the ICC Cricket Rankings. She is also the current third highest individual scorer by a woman cricketer in ODIs.
Rishabh Rajendra Pant is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian cricket team as a wicket-keeper batter. Having played all formats for India, he is best known for his consistency to score runs in Test cricket. Pant plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and captains Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He was the vice-captain of the India U-19 team that was runner-up at the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Majumdar, Boria (2018). Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians: The On and Off the Field Story of Cricket in India and Beyond. New Delhi: Simon & Schuster India. ISBN978-93-86797-18-6.
Guha, Ramachandra (2020). The Commonwealth of Cricket. Fourth Estate. ISBN978-93-90327-28-7.
Guha, Ramachandra (2003). A Corner of a Foreign Field. Pan Macmillan. ISBN978-0-330-49117-4.
Sen, Ronojoy (2015). Nation at Play. Contemporary Asia in the World. ISBN978-0-231-16490-0.
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England at Lord's, London; 25–28 June 1932
Runners-up (2019–21, 2021–23)
South Africa at Boland Park, Paarl; 21 December 2023
Champions (1983, 2011)
Afghanistan at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore; 17 January 2024
