Indians and Cricket is a true love story. Cricket is a religion to them, so The Indian Cricketers are their gods. With time, Indian cricket has produced some great players who piled up enormous records for themselves and their nation. Especially when it comes to batting, Indian batters have announced themselves to every part of the world with their skills, agility, temperament, and class.
The list of world-class performers is long; one can just write about the batting legacy of Indian Cricket, but here is the list of 10 best Indian batters in cricket history selected after scrutiny depending upon their achievements. Check out the list of 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar stands 1st in the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History because of his astounding record as a batter. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, known as ‘Little Master” and “God of Cricket,” appeared in the International cricket arena at the age of only 16 years. His On Drives and Cover Drives on his Debut match predicted his potential and class. Only Player to score more than 30,000 runs with 100 centuries, Sachin Tendulkar gets into the all-time greats of The Game of Cricket. Tendulkar scored 34357 runs in 664 international appearances at an average of 48.52.
Wisden cricketer Alamanck rated him as the second-best test batsman after Sir Don Bradman and the second-best ODI batter after Viv Richards. Sachin has garnered numerous awards throughout his cricketing journey, including the Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, and the Padma Vibhushan Award. Notably, he holds the distinction of being the youngest recipient to date. Sachin is known as the ‘God of Cricket’ and no one can replace him as the Best Indian batter.
Virat Kohli
Modern Sensation Virat Kohli needs no avoidance to be on the list of the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History. The King, Kohli is a Multidimensional player with an average of over 45 across all formats of cricket. Virat’s international cricket career started in 2008. After several clumsy years, he focused on his strengths in 2011. He became a fitness freak. This freak helped him modify his batting abilities, and after that, Kohli never looked back. He remained ODI’s no. 1 batsman for 1258 days straight. His remarkable performances won many matches for India. Virat Kohli was among the best batsmen of the Cricket World Cup 2023.
Virat Kohli recently broke the 50 ODI centuries mark, a record no one has achieved in cricket history. Virat Kohli has 26733 international runs in 522 appearances as of this writing. His career average is 54.11. He is the best batsman in the world right now. Some may argue that his position is below that of Sachin’s as his records are outstanding. However, Tendulkar is a legend; even Kohli acknowledged Sachin’s abilities.
Sunil Gavaskar
Born on July 10, 1949, Sunil Manohar Gavaskar is a former cricketer renowned for his contributions during the 1970s and 1980s, when he represented the Bombay cricket team and India. Recognized as one of cricket’s premier opening batters, Gavaskar achieved world records for the most Test runs and centuries. His record of 34 Test centuries remained unbroken for two decades until it was eventually surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar in December 2005.
Gavaskar’s prowess against fast bowling, notably his remarkable average of 65.45 against the formidable West Indies, earned widespread admiration. He played a pivotal role in helping India win the 1983 Cricket World Cup. In 2012, he received the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for Cricket in India. Little master Sunil Gavaskar achieved incredible success as a batter in the hard times of Cricket India, making him one of the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History.
Rahul Dravid
Known as “The Wall,” Dravid earned recognition as one of the top five cricketers of the year by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack in 2000. His stellar achievements include receiving the Player of the Year and the Test Player of the Year awards at the inaugural ICC awards ceremony in 2004. The wall, Rahul Dravid makes his name in the list of 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History for his excellent records for India. As of October 2012, Dravid is the fourth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Jacques Kallis.
His overall record is 24064 runs in 504 international appearances at an average of 45.57. He is the second Indian cricketer, following Tendulkar, to pass the 10,000 runs mark in both Tests and ODIs. In 2004, by achieving a century against Bangladesh in Chittagong, Dravid became the inaugural and sole player to date to score centuries in all ten Test-playing countries. Furthermore, as of October 2012, he holds the distinction of securing the highest number of catches by a non-wicketkeeper player in Test cricket, accumulating 210 catches.
Rohit Sharma
Indian current Skipper Rohit Sharma needs no introduction as a batter. His records as a batter for the Indian team are outstanding, which makes him one of the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History. Rohit Sharma made his international debut for Indian Cricket in 2007. His excellent inning in the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 was crucial for India to lift its first T20 Title.
After missing the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Rohit Sharma made an excellent comeback in the Champions Trophy 2013. Champions Trophy 2013 started Rohit Sharma becoming one of the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History. Rohit Sharma is the only player to score 3 double-hundreds in ODIs, and his highest score in a single innings in ODIs is 263. Rohit Sharma scored 18,497 runs for India, making him 4th highest run scorer for India.
Muhammad Azharuddin
A formidable captain, A reliable middle-order batter, and an agile cricketer, Muhammad Azharuddin can never be skipped from the Greats of Indian Cricket. Averaging over 43 in all the formats shows his brilliance and class on the field. His 15-year-long career (1985-2000) was mixed with some controversies, but these controversies never affected his form. His 199 against Srilanka at Kanpur in 1986 was enough to establish his potential as a cricketer. He scored 15593 runs at an average of almost 40.
Muhammad Azharuddin led Indian cricket and made a crucial contribution with the bat for the Indian Cricket Team, which makes him one of the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History. John Woodcock, a Senior Cricket Analyst and Writer, remarked about Azharuddin: “It’s no use asking an Englishman to bat like Mohammad Azharuddin. It would be like expecting a greyhound to win the Epsom Derby.” He also received acclaim from other quarters, with umpire Venkataraghavan expressing that “Azharuddin possessed the most exceptional wrists in the game.”
Saurav Ganguly
Prince of Kolkata and Dada (big brother) of the Indian Cricket Team, Saurav Ganguly, is the player who lifted the Indian Cricket Team standards according to modern-day Cricket. He was the fifth-highest run-scorer in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and became the third person in history to surpass the 10,000-run milestone, following Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam Ul Haq. Ganguly scored 18433 runs in 421 International appearances at an average of 41.42.
In 2002, the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack ranked him as the sixth greatest ODI batsman of all time, alongside Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Dean Jones, and Michael Bevan. Ganguly received the Padma Shri in 2004, a prestigious civilian award in India. Saurav Ganguly led India’s batting department due to his incredible batting records as an opener, making him one of the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History.
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag is an Indian cricketer renowned for his aggressive right-handed opening batting style. He made his One Day International debut in 1999 and joined the Indian Test team in 2001. Sehwag boasts numerous records, including the highest individual score by an Indian in Test cricket (319), marking the fastest triple century in international cricket history and the quickest 250 by any batsman. He scored 16892 runs in 363 international appearances.
He is one of only four players globally to have achieved a 300-plus score twice in Test cricket, and uniquely, the sole one to secure two triple centuries alongside a five-wicket innings haul. In March 2009, Sehwag set the record for the fastest century by an Indian in ODIs, accomplishing it in just 60 balls.
On December 8, 2011, he notched his inaugural double century in ODIs against West Indies, emulating Sachin Tendulkar. With an unbeaten 219 off 149 balls, Sehwag still holds the highest individual score in ODI cricket. He remains the only player to achieve a double hundred in ODIs and a triple century in Test cricket. Explosive batter, Virender Sehwag did an excellent job for India as a batter, which registered his name in the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History.
M.S Dhoni
Mahinder Singh Dhoni is the only captain of India to win 2 World Cups and 1 Champions Trophy. Dhoni, aka The Finisher, scored with an average of 40 across all the formats, even after batting in the lower order. Dhoni’s sparkling career was full of achievements. MS Dhoni scored 17092 runs at an average of almost 45.
Under his captaincy, India won the T20 World in 2007, the ICC ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013. Dhoni’s heroics and consistency also helped Chennai Super Kings win many IPL titles. Captain Cool was a master of making masters. Despite his extraordinary batting skills, MS Dhoni saved India in many critical situations with his bat. Therefore, his name is included in the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History.
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh had an illustrious career spanning over 17 years. He is the last in our list of the 10 Best Indian Batters in Cricket History. Yuvraj Singh was the hero of the 2011 World Cup when India won the trophy at home. He was suffering from cancer but still had his hopes high to win the tournament for his team. Yuvraj Singh played 399 international games for India and scored 11686 runs. His career average is 35. He was a handy bowler, too. He was known for his six-hitting ability. Yuvraj hit Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over in T20s in 2007.
It was all from our 10 best Indian batters in cricket history. Let us know your views in the comment section. Who is your favorite Indian Batsman?
