India are one of the batting powerhouses having the potential to set targets as well as chase down mammoth ones with some outstanding performances on the 22 yards. They currently have a famed top-order including the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, skipper Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli in their arsenal who have made stellar individual contributions by successfully making their bat do the talking on countless occasions, especially in One-Day Internationals.

However, there have been a few occasions when the Indian top-order has struggled and even the middle and the lower-order batters succumbed under pressure with way too much weight on their shoulders. On many occasions, left-arm pacers of the opposition have decimated India’s batting line-up in the 50-over format.

Without further ado, here’s a look at 10 of them:

10. Trent Boult

New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult has the ability to single-handedly destroy any batting line-up and even the Indian batters had to suffer his wrath on one occasion. This happened during the fourth match of their home bilateral series against the Men in Blue which was played in Hamilton in January 2019.

Boult registered a fifer with his incredible left-arm pace that left the Indian batters totally clueless on what seemed to be a perfect bowling track. Skipper Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni did not play in that contest and once Boult accounted for openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, the untested middle-order failed to make any impact and the visitors were skittled for just 92 in the 31st over.

Trent Boult finished with figures of 5/21 from his 10 overs including four maidens as the Kiwis registered a comprehensive win by eight wickets.

9. Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman has been Bangladesh’s go-to bowler ever since he first burst onto the scene at the highest level after the 2015 World Cup. The left-arm pacer is known to rattle any batting line-up with his cutters and it was no different for the Indian batters who miserably failed to pick him during the 2015 tour of Bangladesh.

After he decimated the Indian team with match-winning figures of 5/50 in the first ODI of the series, which happened to be his ODI debut, Rahman showcased an even better performance in the second game in Mirpur in June 2015 where he was literally unplayable for the Indian batters and accounted for six of them. The speedster picked up the wicket of Rohit Sharma and then came back to rattle the middle and lower order, dismissing the then skipper MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Mustafizur finished with figures of 6/43 as Bangladesh went on to register a six-wicket win to seal the ODI series.

8. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc is known for his ability to bowl yorkers at will and he finished as the leading wicket-taker of the 2015 and 2019 editions of the ODI World Cup. He even dismantled a strong Indian line-up while they were well on course of posting a mammoth total in a tri-series game at the MCG in January 2015.

Starc bamboozled centurion Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Axar Patel, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to finish with figures of 6/43 including two maidens as India were restricted to 267/8.

The Aussies chased this down by four wickets riding on a brilliant 96 from opener Aaron Finch.

7. Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson was one of the lethal fast bowlers in his prime and went on to win many matches for Australia with his left-arm pace. Johnson has also decimated the Indian line-up when he was yet to attain fame and fortune in international cricket.

Batting first in the fifth ODI in Vadodara in October 2007, India were rattled for just 148 as Mitchell Johnson’s figures read 5/26 at an economy of 2.6. He picked up the wickets of Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, skipper MS Dhoni, Irfan Pathan and Murali Kartik.

Australia registered a convincing nine-wicket win in just the 26th over.

6. Chanaka Welegedara

Chanaka Welegedara kept the Indian batters guessing during a tri-series in Bangladesh in January 2010 in Mirpur as his incredible bowling spell deprived India of posting a total well in excess of 300. More importantly, that spell also helped him in registering his career-best ODI bowling figures.

Welegedara dismissed the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, and Zaheer Khan as India were restricted to 279/9. All the batters got out to unplayable deliveries of the left-arm seamer.

Sri Lanka got past the line by five wickets with two overs to spare and earned four crucial points in the tri-series featuring Bangladesh.

5. Doug Bollinger

While the lethal left-arm pacers Mitchell Starc and Johnson troubled the Indian batters with their incredible bowling spells, India found another threat in one more Australian left-arm pacer who also happened to be on top of his game back in the day. He was Doug Bollinger. Like the two two Mitchells, Bollinger also ran through India’s batting line-up as some of the biggest names of the game looked utterly clueless.

Electing to bat first in the sixth ODI in Guwahati in November 2009, India were bundled out for 170 as Doug Bollinger destroyed the famed batting line-up with his brilliant spell, dismissing Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, and Harbhajan Singh to finish with 5/35 including four maidens.

The Aussies got past the finishing line by six wickets to win the ODI series 4-2 with the last game being washed out.

4. Bruce Reid

While the left-arm pacers have been bothering the Indian batters quite often for over a decade, the issue was also there even in the 1980s during the era of some of the world-class bowlers with Australian legend Bruce Reid in the category. Even Reid once destroyed India with his fifer at the Adelaide Oval in January 1986.

Chasing a stiff 263, Bruce Reid accounted for the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Kapil Dev, and Chetan Sharma as India were bundled out for 226 and went down by 36 runs.

Bruce Reid finished with brilliant figures of 5/53 from his 10 overs at an economy of 5.30.

3. Richard Collinge

Former New Zealand left-arm pacer Richard Collinge was yet another thorn in the eye of the Indian batting order, but this incident dates back to the 1970s when bowling was highly competitive and batters had to bat without much protection against the lethal fast bowlers of that era. Collinge made the famed Indian batting line-up look unsettled in the first ODI in Christchurch back in February 1976.

Richard Collinge picked up the wickets of Parthasarthi Sharma, Mohinder Amarnath, Syed Kirmani, Madan Lal, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan to finish with figures of 5/23 from his seven overs including a maiden as India were bowled out for 154.

New Zealand comfortably won that match by nine wickets as they chased down the target in the 31st over.

2. Reece Topley

Reece Topley recently jolted the Indian batting line-up with a match-winning six-wicket haul to help England register a series-levelling win over India by a huge margin of 100 runs at the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ Lord’s in July 2022. Topley’s spell in that contest also exposed India’s constant vulnerability against the left-arm pacers.

Chasing a manageable total of 247 to seal the series on a good batting surface, the Men in Blue were restricted to just 146 as Topley ran through the Indian batting order, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Prasidh Krishna.

The budding English pacer was adjudged the Player of the Match for his match-winning figures of 6/24 from his 9,5 overs at an economy of 2.44, including two maidens.

1. Chaminda Vaas

Iconic Sri Lankan fast bowler Chaminda Vaas was a force to reckon with during his prime in the 1990s and 2000s and has bamboozled many world-class batters with his pace, swing and variations. Even the Indian batters find a place in this category and they happened to be his victims during the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy final in October 2000.

Chasing a mammoth 300, India were never in the contest as they lost wickets like nine pins to get bundled out for a paltry 54. Chaminda Vaas accounted for half of the Indian side by dismissing skipper Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Vinod Kambli, and Zaheer Khan to finish with figures of 5/14 from his 9.3 overs at an economy of 1.47 including a maiden.

Sri Lanka lifted the trophy with a mammoth 245-run win.

Over the years, many cricketers attained fame and fortune in the international arena with their outstanding contributions to cricket with the bat, and ball combined with on-field brilliance including pulling off unbelievable catches and effecting breathtaking runouts. These players were at a different level and seemed to be unstoppable when they were on top of their game.

However, there were many cricketers who shockingly bid adieu to the game when they were at the peak of their respective international careers. Most of them were well-established cricketers who had shattered several cricketing records and were still going strong, but somewhere in their minds, they felt that the time had come for them to give up doing what they loved the most. Without further a do, here are-

5 cricketers who had surprisingly announced retirement since 2015

5. Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera was one of the promising all-rounders of Sri Lanka who contributed to the wickets tally with his medium-pace on a regular basis and was also known for his ability to play big shots in the middle-order. In fact, he hit the winning six in Sri Lanka’s famous T20 World Cup 2014 triumph against India in Dhaka.

Perera decided to bid adieu to international cricket in May last year but made it clear that he would continue to play franchise cricket. Of all batters with at least 2000 runs in One Day Internationals, the southpaw’s strike rate of an impressive 112.08 remains the fourth-highest of all time.

Thisara Perera might have thought about taking this decision as he did not feature in Sri Lanka’s playing XI on a consistent basis in white-ball cricket since 2015 when the Lankans were going through a transition phase after that year’s ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, national commitments had deprived him of playing in franchise leagues.

4. Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum is arguably the best captain after the late Martin Crowe to take New Zealand cricket to greater heights courtesy of his unique leadership and management tactics. He helped the Kiwis in playing a fearless brand of cricket which they inculcated even in Test cricket. Under McCullum’s guidance, the BlackCaps made their maiden World Cup final appearance in 2015 where they went down to Australia at MCG in a one-sided contest.

After the 2015 edition of the ODI World Cup, Brendon was expected to lead New Zealand to their maiden world title in the following year’s T20 World Cup in India. However, in December, the explosive batter made it clear that he would be retiring from international cricket after the home Test series against Australia in February 2016.

While New Zealand won the three-match ODI series, 2-1, the Aussies went on to register an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Test series. More importantly in what was his final international game, McCullum broke the record for the fastest century in Tests. It took him just 54 balls to achieve this feat.

3. Mitchell Johnson

Australia registered their record fifth World Cup triumph in 2015. While the triumph was possible due to collective performances and being a side to reckon with at home, some of the stalwarts of that win including the likes of wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin and skipper Michael Clarke bid adieu to international cricket going forward. However, it was pacer Mitchell Johnson’s sudden retirement decision that left everyone shell-shocked.

Johnson was in the form of his life and at the peak of his career and had played a key role in Australia’s 2015 World Cup victory. Nonetheless, he felt his time in international cricket was up and bid adieu to the game after the conclusion of a Test match against New Zealand in November 2015 at his home stadium in WACA, Perth.

Mitchell Johnson’s retirement left the cricketing world especially Australian cricket in disbelief after their pace spearhead decided to move on in life just months after their celebrations of having conquered the world in their own backyard.

2. Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard was one of the West Indies’ go-to players for more than a decade in the international arena. He made a mark with his stellar all-round performances, but more importantly, was known for his power-hitting in the middle order which had the ability to change the complexion of the game.

Pollard decided to announce his retirement at a time when West Indies were trying to establish themselves as worthy challengers in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Down Under and ODI World Cup 2023 in India. The all-rounder was leading them in limited-overs.

After representing the Windies for 15 years, the middle-order sensation felt that his time was up donning the maroon jersey and announced his international retirement with immediate effect in April this year. Nonetheless, Kieron Pollard had made it clear that he would be playing T20 and T10 leagues across the globe.

1. AB de Villers

AB de Villiers needs no introduction. He is known for introducing innovative and tactical batting when he was at the peak of his career in the mid-2010s. ABD scooped any lethal bowlers effortlessly for six by fearlessly walking across the stumps and did not shy away from switch-hitting either.

However, when Abraham Benjamin de Villiers was in the prime of his life having registered several cricketing records to his name including the fastest ODI century and averaging over 50 in Test cricket, he decided to call curtains down on his international career in May 2018 and from then on until 2021, there were rumors of him making a comeback to the South African team which never happened.

De Villiers’ sudden decision of stepping down from international cricket in 2018 left everyone stunned which eventually dented South Africa’s chances in the 2019 World Cup. ‘Mr.360’ was also criticized by many for choosing franchise cricket over the national team at a time when South Africa cricket was on a decline.

England are currently playing South Africa in a three-match ODI series with both teams winning one match each. The the series-decider is to be played on July 24 (Sunday). The home team managed to win the second ODI but their batting order did not perform up to everyone’s expectations.

The Three Lions also struggled to leave an impact with the bat during the white-ball series against India. It may be noted that England is without two of their senior batters Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan as the former skipper took retirement from international cricket, while had decided to retire from ODI cricket recently to manage the workload.

Under the leadership of new white-ball captain Jos Buttler, team England has tried a few new faces in the batting order, but there are a few of them waiting in line to get their chance as well.

On that note, let us take a look at five batters who can become a regular face in England’s ODI XI:

1. James Vince

One of the most technically sound batters, James Vince can be one of the contenders to stake his claim in the English ODI squad. The right-handed batter has already represented England in white-ball format and he was also in good touch during the recently concluded T20 Blast.

The right-handed batter played a total of 16 innings and finished as the top-run getter in the tournament. Vince played many outstanding knocks for his team Hampshire as they eventually win the championship by just one run in one of the most dramatic matches ever.

As mentioned above, Vince has already represented England in ODI cricket and he will want to have another shot at the international level and prove his worth. He has played 19 ODI matches and amassed 480 runs at an average of 30. He has also stroked two fifties and one hundred.

2. Sam Billings

One of the most under-rated batters in England, Sam Billings is one of the most prominent contenders to enter into the side after the retirement of Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes. Having made his debut in 2015, Billings was added to the English set-up following their humiliating exit from the 2015 World Cup.

Known for playing innovative shots and being handful against spinners, Billings can be very damaging for the opposition bowling line-up. But since making his debut, Billings has been in and out of the England squad. The right-handed batter played his last ODI in July 2021.

Talking about his numbers, the right-handed batter has played 25 ODIs and has scored 607 runs at an average of 33.72. He also has four fifties and one hundred to his name with his best being 118 runs.

3. Sam Hain

Sam Hain is another good pick to be added to England’s batting setup. Despite not having represented England at the highest level till now, Hain has piled up runs in the domestic formats and has shown that he can be an option to try out at the no. 3 or 4 positions.

Talking about his List-A career, Hain has played 59 matches and has scored 2810 runs at an astonishing average of 58.54. The right-handed batter has also smashed 15 half-centuries and 10 hundreds in the 50-over format with his highest score being 161 not out.

Born in Hong Kong, Hain played his initial cricket in Australia before being spotted by former Warwickshire skipper Michael Powell as he sent Hain to Warwickshire for trials and the batter made his debut soon after that. Over the years, Hain has played several memorable knocks for his club, but he will surely want to represent the Three Lions at the highest level.

4. Harry Brook

Young batter Harry Brook was added to England’s ODI squad during their clash against India, but he did not get any games in the series. Before that, the 23-year-old played all three T20Is against India and made some short but vital contributions to his team.

Brook played a knock of 28 runs off just 23 balls during the first T20I against India. The right-handed batter also displayed his range of shots after smashing two fours and one maximum. However, he failed to perform during the second and got out early.

In the third match, he played just nine balls but stroked 19 runs, hitting three boundaries. During the series, Brook showed that he is competent against both spin and pace and the decision now lies in England team management’s hands on whether to keep Brook in the midst or not.

5. Philip Salt

Another talented batter on the list, wicketkeeper-batter Philip Salt is currently representing England against South Africa. Salt was included in the playing XI in the second ODI in place of Stokes who played his last ODI game.

Batting with pressure to go for the big shots due to a shortened game, Salt played well for his 17 runs in just ten balls, stroking three boundaries before getting out while trying to clear the field. Salt might be seen again in action during the third ODI and he will want to make a big score to fix his place in the playing XI.

In his short ODI career, Salt has stroked 369 runs at an excellent average of 52.71 in seven matches. The right-handed batter plays at a strike rate of 133.69 and has also scored two fifties and one century.

The ICC T20 World Cup is only three months away and India under the leadership of Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid would be hoping to go all the way this time around. The Men in Blue had a forgettable tournament last year where they failed to make the semis and also suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss at the hands of arch-rivals Pakistan.

In fact, India will once again begin their campaign against the Babar Azam-led side on October 23 at the iconic MCG. As the Indian team is looking forward to ending their nine-year ICC title drought, they need to have a lot of questions answered as far as the fitness and availability of their players are concerned due to unavoidable circumstances like injuries.

With the top-order including skipper Rohit and batting megastar Virat Kohli out of touch with the bat, India are already in a spot of bother and if any of the key players are forced to be ruled out due to injury concerns then it would definitely turn out to be a horrible experience for the Indian think tank. Without further ado, here’s a look at the three injury-prone players who could miss the showpiece event.

3 Injury prone players who might miss T20 World Cup 2022:

3. KL Rahul

KL Rahul is arguably the backbone of the Indian top-order and he would have a huge role to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup by working in tandem with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rahul had an excellent IPL 2022 leading the new entrants Lucknow Super Giants where he finished as the second-highest run-getter of the season amassing 616 runs from 15 matches at a strike rate of 135.38 including two centuries.

However, it is to be noted that Rahul has not played any international matches since then. In fact, he was all set to lead the Men in Blue in the home T20Is against South Africa in June before a groin injury ruled him out of action. The Karnataka cricketer underwent successful surgery in Germany and was all in readiness to make a comeback in the upcoming West Indies T20Is before he tested positive for COVID-19,

While Rahul might just make it in time before the T20I series in the Caribbean, the Indian selectors and team management would certainly be in a spot of bother heading into the T20 World Cup. One more unfortunate injury to Rahul going forward would leave them with hardly any choice of finding a suitable batting replacement.

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is known for his ability to swing the new ball both ways when he first started his international career and was a regular member of the Indian team across formats. Nonetheless, after the conclusion of the 2019 World Cup, his career has been marred with injuries and the senior pacer was also seen limping off the field midway on a couple of occasions.

Reportedly, the UP cricketer was also not 100% during the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year where India crashed out in Super 12 after heavy defeats in their opening fixtures against Pakistan and the eventual finalists New Zealand. Since then, Kumar has worked extremely hard on his fitness and has succeeded in being a part of India’s limited-overs setup in the last few months. More importantly, he was also available for the entire IPL 2022 that was played over a duration of two months.

Even though Bhuvneshwar Kumar is playing for India only T20Is on a regular basis now, there could be fitness concerns for the pacer in the future, and should that happen then it would definitely turn out to be a huge blow for the Indian pace attack.

1. Suryakumar Yadav

This is indeed really surprising, but a harsh reality nonetheless. Suryakumar Yadav seems to be in the form of his life in the shortest format as he slammed a quickfire 117 runs from 55 deliveries at a strike rate of 212.7 chasing a mammoth 216. What really stood out during that knock was the way he handled the pressure exceptionally well after India were reduced to 31/3 inside the Powerplay.

However, Yadav has been injured twice this year. He was first ruled out of the home series against Sri Lanka due to a hairline fracture in his right hand and just recovered in time to participate in the IPL 2022 where he represented the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. Unfortunately for him, a left forearm muscle injury that he suffered midway ruled him out from the remainder of the tournament and also forced him to miss the subsequent South Africa T20Is.

The Indian think tank would be desperately hoping that the Mumbai cricketer suffers no more injuries going forward which could put them in all sorts of trouble in order to find a consistent and well-established middle-order batter.

Cricket, like every other sport, is about fitness, longevity, fortitude and mental strength, as much as it is about technique and skill. Hence, the ultimate format of the game takes the name ‘Test’. It tests every aspect and attribute of a sportsperson, and it is in this format that a player’s performance is truly judged.

In the modern game, with different formats and an increasing number of matches to play in a short period, a cricketer’s fitness and longevity are tested more than ever. Unlike in the 20th century, it is a rare sight today to see a player carry on when they are aged above 35.

The recent retirements of players such as Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, and Eoin Morgan, in different formats, shed some light on how challenging it is for modern players to withstand having to play in tight schedules and at a very high level. However, there have been a few exceptions, who have carried on playing at the highest stage and are proving that age is only a number.

Here are the oldest current cricketers of each team in Tests:

1. David Warner (Australia) – 35 years and 267 days

The left-handed New South Wales player has been one of the best openers and top all-format batters, in the last decade or so. Although David Warner, at the age of 35, is not at his sparkling best, he is still one of the Men in Yellow’s trusted batters up top.

Warner was part of Australia’s last Test series in Sri Lanka, which was played in June and July. He also scored the winning runs in the first Test match in Galle, which eventually helped the team salvage a 1-1 draw in the two-match series.

Warner, in 2022, has scored 266 runs in seven Test matches with two fifties and a top score of 68. Both the fifties came on the Pakistan tour in March, in which Australia won 1-0 in three matches. He currently stands number 17 in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

2. Rohit Sharma (India) – 35 years and 82 days

Rohit Sharma, the India captain for all formats, is also the oldest player in the current Indian Test team. He appeared in India’s five-match Test series in England but missed the rescheduled fifth match this month due to Covid-19. His last Test match was against Sri Lanka in March in Bengaluru.

The India captain is currently ranked ninth in Tests in the ICC Batting Rankings, which is the second-highest for an Indian after Rishabh Pant. He made his Test debut in November 2013 and has appeared in 45 Test matches ever since.

In his 13 Test matches, he scored 996 runs at an average of 45.27 with two hundreds and four fifties and a top score of 161. He will be next in action on the West Indies tour for five T20Is.

3. Dean Elgar (South Africa) – 35 years and 40 days

Dean Elgar, as with Rohit Sharma, is the captain and oldest player of the current South African Test team. He made his Test debut in November 2012 against Australia in Perth and has played 76 matches ever since.

Elgar had a horror start to his Test career as he became the first South African since Allan Donald in 1992 to bag a pair on debut. At the moment, the Proteas opener is arguably the best batter in the line-up. Elgar last played a Test match in April against

The South Africa captain, in his last 12 Test matches, scored 881 runs at an average of 41.95 with seven fifties and a century and a top score of 127. He is also the highest-ranked Test batter of the side, at the moment.

4. James Anderson (England) – 39 years and 356 days

One of the icons of English cricket and an ambassador of fast bowling in Test cricket, James “Jimmy” Anderson is definitely one of the best red ball cricketers of all time. With only a few days shy of turning 40, Anderson is still the spearhead of the bowling pack and one of the best cricketers in the England lineup.

Anderson, after making his debut in 2003, has played 172 Test matches so far, which is the most for a fast bowler in the format and the second-most overall after Sachin Tendulkar. With 657 wickets, he is leading the wicket-takers charts for a pacer and is third on the list overall.

In 2022, he played four Test matches and picked up 18 wickets at an average of 22.16 and a strike rate of 51.8 with two five-wicket hauls. Anderson is currently England’s highest-ranked bowler in Tests and sixth overall.

5. Neil Wagner (New Zealand) – 36 years and 130 days

Neil Wagner is a South Africa-born Kiwi cricketer, and a left-arm fast bowler. He made his New Zealand debut in 2012 against West Indies in North Sound, Antigua in July 2012 and has appeared in 59 Test matches ever since.

Wagner is a one-format player and is known for generating bounce and carry on any surface, hitting the deck hard with a fast arm movement that makes the ball skid onto the batters. He is also known for his tenacious attitude on the field, consequently picking some key wickets even on unhelpful pitches.

Wagner is ranked ninth in Tests as per the ICC Bowling Rankings, making him the second-highest ranked Kiwi bowler after Trent Boult. He has 246 wickets in the format at an average of 26.71 with nine five-wicket hauls and best innings figures of 7/39.

6. Azhar Ali (Pakistan) – 37 years and 152 days

Azhar Ali, a former Pakistan captain, is known for his solidity and temperament in the longest format of the game. The right-hand batter made his Test debut in July 2010 against Australia at Lord’s and has played 95 matches ever since.

Ali last played a Test in the first match of the ongoing Sri Lanka tour which Pakistan won by four wickets. He has scored 7,030 runs at an average of 42.60 with 19 hundreds and 35 fifties.

He has scored 309 runs an average of 44.14 with one fifty and as many centuries and a top score of 185 in four Test matches, in 2022. He is currently ranked 18th in Tests as per ICC Batting Rankings. He has a top score of 302* in the format and became only the fourth triple centurion for Pakistan.

7. Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka) – 35 years and 49 days

Angelo Mathews started out as a batting all-rounder who could also bowl fast. But at the moment, he plays the role of a specialist batter for Sri Lanka. He last played a Test match in the first game of the ongoing home series against Pakistan in Galle.

Mathews also made his Test debut against Pakistan in Galle in July 2009 and has played 99 Test matches ever since. He has scored 6,876 runs at an average of 45.23 with 13 centuries and 38 half-centuries and a top score of an unbeaten 200.

Mathews, at 35, is having one of the best years with the bat. In 2022, he has scored 538 runs in seven Test matches with two hundreds and a fifty and a top score of 199. He also has 33 wickets with the best innings figures of four wickets for 44 runs in the format.

8. Kemar Roach (West Indies) – 34 years and 21 days

The Barbadian cricketer, Kemar Roach, is only the third and the last fast bowler on this list. Coming from a factory of elite pacers, Roach recently took his wicket tally to 252 in Test cricket to go past West Indian legends such as Michael Holding, Gary Sobers and Andy Roberts among many others.

Roach is also eight wickets away from surpassing Joel Garner and entering the list of top five wicket-takers for West Indies. Unlike the other legends, he is not gifted with a towering height. Yet, one of his strengths is being able to hit the deck hard and produce a well-directed bouncer.

Roach, the spearhead of the West Indies bowling attack, is unsurprisingly the highest-ranked bowler in the side and eighth overall. In 2022, he picked 21 wickets in five Test matches at an average of 22.57 with best innings figures of five wickets for 53 runs.

9. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – 35 years 119 days

Shakib Al Hasan has been one of the best all-rounders in all formats in international over the last decade or so. He has also been the torch bearer of Bangladesh cricket for a long time and is one of the most complete cricketers across formats at the moment.

He made his Test debut against India in Chattogram in May 2007 and has played 63 matches in the format ever since. With 225 wickets, he is the leading wicket-taker for his country in Test cricket. He also has 4,251 runs with the bat at an average of 39.00 with five hundreds and 29 fifties, making him the third-highest run-getter in Tests for Bangladesh.

Shakib, at the moment, is ranked third among all-rounders in Tests after Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. He also became the captain of the Bangladesh Test team in June after Mominul Haque stepped down from the role.

Many captains have gone on to etch their names in cricketing history courtesy of leading their respective national teams outstandingly well from the front and shattering as well as creating many records in the process. It takes a great sense of responsibility, winning the faith of the dressing room, and leadership abilities to captain a national cricket team, and only a few of them have managed to get the job done in this manner successfully.

The elite list include the likes of MS Dhoni, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Graeme Smith, Virat Kohli, Imran Khan, Kane Williamson, etc. under who their respective sides have turned into world-beaters in international cricket. However, it also needs to be noted that there have been a few active international cricketers who had captained once upon a time, but their captaincy has gone unnoticed due to some reason or the other. Without further ado, here’s a look at three of them.

3. Rovman Powell

Rovman Powell has been one of the West Indies’ promising all-rounders in the limited-overs format who has the ability to bowl handy overs and showcased some solid power-hitting in the middle-order. His cricketing skills have also helped him earn lucrative franchise league contracts across the globe, including the IPL, where he was a part of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 and the Delhi Capitals in 2022.

Intrestingly, the dasher once led West Indies from the front when he was still in the initial stages of his international career. Powell was given the responsibility of captaining the Caribbean outfit during their tour of Bangladesh in December 2018. While Carlos Brathwaite was the T20I captain back then, Powell was asked to lead the ODI side on that tour.

Unfortunately for Rovman, he could not create a good first impression as the West Indies went on to suffer a 1-2 defeat in the three-match One-Day International series.

2. Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram is one of South Africa’s most reliable modern-day cricketers who has the potential to play some match-winning knocks for his side. The Proteas side has been in a transition phase for the last few years that saw many of their star players leave due to unavoidable circumstances, and Markram has been one of the players who has constantly been around the team during this period, having tried his level best in making good contributions for their overall prosperity.

Meanwhile, even Aiden Markram has once led the South African team from the front. It was during the 2018 home ODI series against India that Markram was given the challenge of captaining the Proteas after regular skipper Faf du Plessis was ruled out due to a finger injury while AB de Villiers had to miss the series because of injury concerns.

It was indeed an honour for the then emerging cricketer as he became the second youngest player to captain South Africa in One Day Internationals after Graeme Smith. However, the results did not go in favour of the home team as they lost the series 1-5. At the same time, this was also the Indian team’s maiden bilateral ODI series victory on South African soil.

1. Alex Carey

Alex Carey is one of the finest wicketkeeper-batters in ODI cricket at the moment and has now succeeded in cementing his place in the Australian Test squad. Despite being a late entrant at the international arena and being in and out of the national team, Carey has ensured to give more than 100% whenever he got the opportunity to feature in the playing XI.

It is to be noted that even the wicketkeeper-batter has once led Australia. It was during the five-time world champions’ tour of the West Indies that Carey was handed over the captaincy responsibilities after white-ball captain Aaron Finch suffered a knee injury. It was during the ODI itself that the southpaw made two new records.

While the Aussies registered a comprehensive 133-run victory, Carey went on to complete 1000 ODI runs, and 50 ODI catches in that game. Above all, Australia sealed the three-match series 2-1.

While there has been a significant urge to save Test cricket, ODI cricket looks to have fallen out of the race. The dominance of T20 cricket has left ODI cricket in the shadows and it is important to remember the format although the number of series has gone down at the moment. The boards are interested in playing T20Is and Tests, while ODIs have gone down in the pecking order.

Captaincy in the 50-over format is one of the difficult jobs and the current scenario has seen a lot of captains emerging with the regular skippers needing rest due to a hectic schedule. In the previous era, it wasn’t the case and captains had to be changed in the middle of the series only due to injuries.

On that note, there were a number of captains in the ODI format that were forgotten by the fans in the due course. It is time to look at five ODI captains whom the fans would find it tough to remember.

5 ODI Captains fans may have forgotten:

1. Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali known more for his longer format skills did lead Pakistan for a period of time in the 50-over format. The 37-year-old was named the ODI captain after the 2015 World Cup despite not being a regular name in the format for the country. The men in green were into a disastrous run under him as they kept losing games on the trot.

The Pakistan side dropped to ninth place in the ICC ODI rankings, and almost missed the bus for the Champions Trophy as it featured the top eight teams. After a 1-4 series loss to Australia in February, Ali stepped down as captain of the Pakistan ODI side and the country went on to win the Champions Trophy under Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Overall, Ali captained Pakistan in 31 ODIs, winning 12 of those and losing 18 games with one having no result. He had a win percentage of just 38.71 and never established himself in the format as he did in the Tests.

2. Lahiru Thirimanne

Lahiru Thirimanne has been around the Sri Lankan international side for a long time since his debut in 2010 and he was seen as the future of the side. The left-hander, however, was always in and out of the side but went on to play 127 ODIs having scored four centuries in the process. He is no longer part of the format and last played an ODI in 2019 against Pakistan.

The 32-year-old captained Sri Lanka in five ODIs but it wasn’t as fruitful as he would like to be. He first got the nod as a captain in the absence of injured Angelo Mathews in the New Zealand tour in 2014-2015. He could win just one of his five games as a leader and lost four games which meant that he never captained the side again.

Thirimanne did make a comeback in the Test format recently and was asked to open the batting alongside Dimuth Karunaratne. However, with the arrival of a new look Sri Lankan side, Thirimanne is expected to lose his spot in the longer format as well.

3. Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram has been a sensation for the South African side in the last couple of years and has taken his game to the next level in the limited overs format. While many know about his stature in Test cricket at the top of the order, Markram has captained the Proteas in the ODI format.

The right-hander made his ODI debut in 2017 and has gone on to play 39 games scoring 976 runs at an average of 28.71 with four fifties to his name. Markram who had already won a U19 World Cup with South Africa was handed the captaincy in the 50-over format and so far, he has led in five games.

He managed to win one out of the five games and lost four in the process. However, the 27-year-old will certainly be a strong contender for the leadership role in the future given his ability to handle pressure. He has adapted to the middle order exceedingly well in the limited overs format and has reaped a lot of rewards already.

4. JP Duminy

JP Duminy was one of the middle order specialists who had a big role to play in the South African batting lineup. He had the ability to bowl some useful off-spin and was one of the destructive finishers in his prime. However, he never seemed to settle into the playing XI as the Proteas had a lot of match winners.

Despite that, Duminy played 199 ODIs scoring 5117 runs at an average of 36.81 since his debut in 2004. He captained the Proteas side in two ODIs and managed to win both the games to maintain a 100 per cent record. In 2019, Duminy decided to part ways with international cricket.

Duminy played for various franchises across the globe and he has played some memorable knocks in his international career for the South Africa side. However, his captaincy never came to the fore in international cricket despite having impressive numbers in domestic cricket and South Africa should have opted for him as the leader a lot more.

5. Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble is India’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs and Test cricket still and he has left a mountain for the current Indian bowlers to reach. The leg spinner who became India’s first bowler to pick up all ten wickets in an innings in Tests was a magician with the ball and played a big part until his retirement in 2008.

Kumble’s captaincy in Tests was quite noticeable but not many knew that he had captained in ODIs as well for India. The legendary spinner led India in just one ODI in 2002 in the absence of regular skipper Sourav Ganguly against England. India managed to win the game and he maintained a 100 per cent captaincy record in the format for India.

He later was appointed the full-time captain in Tests in 2007 and did produce some memorable victories including the Perth Test victory against a full-strength Australian side.

It takes a lot of pain and effort along with countless sacrifices to become an international cricketer, but it is even more difficult to sustain and perform consistently across formats especially with a packed international calendar every year. Apart from making themselves available in all three formats at the highest level, the players also have the tedious task of playing franchise cricket across the globe, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Recently, star England all-rounder Ben Stokes took the tough decision of retiring from One Day Internationals due to the hectic schedule and his inability to give a 100% in this format. However, the southpaw has confirmed his availability for Tests and T20Is. This is a huge blow for England as they gear up for their title defense in next year’s 50-over World Cup in India. Meanwhile, there are five players who might bid adieu to at least one format this year.

Without further ado, here’s a look at all of them.

5. Trent Boult (Tests)

Trent Boult has been spearheading the New Zealand pace attack for a long time now. He has been active for the Kiwis across formats and also features in the IPL. Despite playing the game continually, Boult’s pace has not seemed to have slowed down a bit. However, the left-arm speedster might think about quitting Test cricket going forward.

Boult has so far played 78 Tests and has 317 scalps to his name at an economy of three with his career-best bowling figures being 6/30. He took 16 wickets in the three-match series against England last month including a fifer. While he is consistent in this format of the game, Trent might look to sacrifice his red-ball career in order to prolong his white-ball career.

Trent Boult would be turning 33 on July 22 and with age not on his side, he will need to slow down a bit in order to keep himself fit and injury-free with a few more years of cricket left in him.

4. Shakib Al Hasan (Tests)

Shakib Al Hasan has been one of Bangladesh cricket’s chief guardians for the last one-and-a-half decade both as a leader and on the field with his all-round excellence. Even Shakib has been making himself available for all three formats and at the same time, takes time off from his busy schedule to play franchise leagues all over the world.

Meanwhile, the year 2022 saw Shakib Al Hasan take an indefinite break from the longest format. He first pulled out from the away Test series against New Zealand citing ‘personal’ reasons and then left the South Africa tour midway in order to attend to his family members who were hospitalized.

Now, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) not confident of awarding him a Test contract in the future, it seems that the veteran all-rounder could bring curtains down on his Test career soon. He has so far scored 4251 runs in 63 matches and also has 225 wickets to his name.

3. Kane Williamson (T20Is)

Kane Williamson has been New Zealand’s batting mainstay across all formats and has also accomplished a lot as a skipper in the last few years leading the BlackCaps to the finals of the ODI World Cup 2019 and T20 World Cup 2021. He had also led them to an ICC World Test Championship triumph last year.

However, Williamson, the batter, seems to have been a pale shadow of himself in the last few months especially, with that elbow injury that is keeping him out of action regularly. Now, the Tauranga cricketer might be thinking of leaving at least one format and that could be T20Is after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup this November.

With stand-in captain Mitchell Santner doing a pretty well in the shortest format in Williamson’s absence, he would have absolutely no hesitation in discontinuing from this form of the game. Williamson has so far amassed 2021 runs from 74 T20Is at a strike rate of 123.98.

2. Steve Smith (T20Is)

Steve Smith has been one of the strongest pillars of Australian cricket for over a decade. From starting his international career as a leg-spinner in 2010 to emerging as one of the finest Test batters in the modern-day game, Smith has indeed come a long way in an era where the Aussies won two world titles (2015 ODI World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup).

While Smith has been a force to reckon with in Tests and One Day Internationals, he has not managed to click equally well in the shortest format. In the 57 T20Is that he has played so far, Steven has only managed 928 runs at a dismal average of 26.51 which is quite bizarre for a batter of his calibre.

Therefore, Steve Smith might consider bidding adieu to T20Is after the conclusion of this year’s T20 World Cup in his home country.

1. Virat Kohli (T20Is)

Last, but not the least, this is indeed a surprise element. Virat Kohli, who once ruled all three formats at the same time like a king with the bat in hand, has witnessed a slump in form in the past couple of years that has now seen him slip out of the top 10 positions in both the Tests and T20Is rankings even though he occupies the fourth spot in ODIs.

After relinquishing captaincy from all formats, Kohli may now consider stepping away from T20Is in order to focus on Tests and ODIs going forward. In the recently-concluded England T20I series, the batting megastar could only manage scores of one and 11 in two games. He has been rested from the upcoming West Indies T20Is and will now be in action during the Asia Cup in August-September.

As far as Virat’s illustrious T20I career is concerned, he has so far amassed 3308 runs from 99 T20Is at an outstanding strike rate of 137.66. In fact, he was also adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the 2014 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup.

The beautiful game of cricket is a major source of entertainment for a dozen of countries. Since the commencement of the T20 format, the game has become a lot more exciting. The cricketers are not less than heroes for their fans. The fans especially in India are crazy about cricket, they even worship their cricket heroes.

The game of cricket has evolved a lot and is changing day by day. Many legendary cricketers came, saw, conquered, and then left silently. Some of the former cricketers left their fans heartbroken when they announced their retirement from the game. The fans as well as the experts believed that a few of them could have played a little more.

Retirement is a common thing in the life of professionals. As it is said that change is the only constant, everything eventually ends at some point in time. Perhaps, the ends sometimes are heartbreaking. Some recently retired cricketers are missed too much by their fans and they really want them to come back onto the cricket field.

Here’s a look at five such cricketers whom fans would want to make a comeback to international cricket:

1. AB de Villiers

A Superhero from Pretoria re-defined cricket with his extraordinary batting skills. It took people time to believe that he is a human too. AB de Villiers is a favourite of almost everyone and there was nothing on the cricket field that AB could not do. He was a genius and a one-in-a-century-born cricketer. His batting was a treat to watch.

Abraham Benjamin de Villers marked his arrival to international cricket for South Africa in 2004 when he received his maiden Test cap against England. Later he became South Africa’s most valuable player in all three formats of the game. AB started his career as a wicket-keeper but later he shifted to an outfielder.

Famously known as MR.360, AB played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is for South Africa scoring 8765, 9577, and 1672 runs respectively. He was a legend in the Indian Premier League too, he served Royal Challengers Bangalore for a long time. He played his last international game in 2018 and also bid adieu to international cricket in the same year.

2. Dale Steyn

“Steyn Gun”, the name was enough to scare the batters. He was lethal with the ball in hand. Many of the batters of his generation have admitted that he was the toughest bowler to face. He had the ability to swing the ball at 95 miles/hr. He has bowled some extraordinary spells for his country. He was a key player for South Africa for more than a decade.

Dale Steyn used to come up with a charged sprint and bowl with a classical right arm action. He was considered one of the most complete bowlers in the history of the game. He used to clock the 150 km/hr mark for fun. He was the most dangerous with the red ball. He used to hit the deck hard and intimidate the batters with his aggression.

The pride of South Africa played 93 Tests,125 ODIs, and 47 T20Is between 2004 to 2020. He claimed 439 wickets in Tests, 196 wickets in ODIs, and 64 wickets in T20Is. His bowling average was around 20 across three formats. He played his last game for South Africa in 2020 in a T20I against Australia. He is a role model for so many budding fast bowlers.

3. Lasith Malinga

Having curly hairs and slingy action, Lasith Malinga used to be a challenge for the batters in white ball cricket. He is one of the greatest ever to play the shortest format of the game. He would consistently hit yorkers and deceive the batters with his variation in pace. He even captained Sri Lanka in T20Is. Sri Lanka won the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup under him.

The Galle express made his international debut for Sri Lanka in a Test match against Australia in July 2004. He was a regular feature for Sri Lanka until his retirement. Malinga was a master of bowling toe-crushing yorkers. Yorkers at that pace were the toughest to play. He was most effective during the death overs.

Malinga was a match-winner for Sri Lanka, he played 30 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 84 T20Is for them. He picked 101 wickets in Tests, 338 wickets in ODIs, and 107 wickets in T20Is. He is one of the few bowlers to pick 100 wickets in all three formats. He was a key player for the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians too. He played his last game for Sri Lanka in 2020.

4. Suresh Raina

An elegant left-hand batter, a handy off-spinner, and one of the best fielders cricket has ever seen. Suresh Raina was a complete package. Raina was a solid player who made a name for himself in world cricket through his incredible performances on the field. Raina was involved in some great wins for Team India.

The southpaw was one of India’s finest T20 batters. He had all the gears that a T20 batter should have. He could start slogging from the first ball and even could play the role of an anchor. He played some important knocks for India. The cameos he played in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, one against Australia in the quarterfinal and one against Pakistan in the semifinal were priceless.

Suresh Raina was given the tag of Mr IPL as he was the leading run-scorer in IPL for a long time. He scored 5528 runs in 205 IPL games. For India, he played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is. Raina played his last game for India in 2018. He has not yet retired from IPL and can make a comeback in the 2023 IPL season.

5. MS Dhoni

Probably the most heartbreaking retirement in the last 4-5 years was when MS Dhoni decided to quit playing for India in 2019. MS Dhoni is India’s greatest captain, wicket-keeper, and finisher ever. There used to be faith in the minds of cricket fans until MS Dhoni was on the crease. He was born to play cricket and win games for India.

The Indian Cricket Team won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy under his captaincy. Till date, he is the only captain to win all the 3 ICC trophies. He had the greatest cricketing brain and World Cricket might not see another captain like him.

Mahi is an adopted son of Chennai. They lovingly call him Thala as he led the Chennai Super Kings for 15 years and he still is the captain of the franchise. Dhoni played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is for India between 2004 to 2019. The 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand was his last game for the men in blue.

In any sport, representing the country is an athlete’s ultimate dream, and donning the national kit for the first time is one of the landmark moments in any sportsperson’s career. It is an honour and also a reward for years of hard work, right from a young age, to represent on a global stage, wearing the country’s badge.

Cricket, or the ‘gentleman’s game’ as it is called, follows a tradition of welcoming debutants into the team by presenting a cap by a senior member or a past player of the team, with the rest of the players also present for the occasion. It is followed in all forms and levels, including domestic and franchise crickets.

The cap presentation, which is done just before the match, is always a special occasion for a player. Even more so, if the cap is handed over by one’s idol. And there have been a few occasions in cricket when players received their debut caps from their heroes.

Here are five instances when cricketers received their debut caps from their idols:

1.KL Rahul from MS Dhoni

Indian star batter KL Rahul made his international debut on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test match at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), receiving cap number 284 from the then-India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. 

Rahul also made his debut in the other two formats under Dhoni at Harare against Zimbabwe in 2016. He has so far appeared in 43 Test matches, 42 ODIs and 56 T20Is ever since, scoring over 6,000 runs. He is the only Indian player to score a hundred on ODI debut. “I never thought I would get a chance to play in the series and it was a special feeling to get that cap from MS Dhoni,” he wrote on Twitter.

The Karnataka-born cricketer is now the vice-captain of the Indian team and is currently out of action due to a groin injury. He is undergoing rehabilitation in Germany and is expected to return to the team in about a month.

2. Alex Carey from Adam Gilchrist

Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey became the 461st member of Australia’s Test team, receiving the famous baggy green from former legendary wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, in Gabba, Brisbane, on December 8, 2021. He made his ODI debut in January 2018 and T20I debut the next month.

Carey has so far scored 451 runs at an average of 32.21 in 15 Test innings, 1,417 runs at an average of 35.42 in 53 ODIs, and 233 runs at an average of 11.09 in 38 T20Is.

Carey was also part of Australia’s World Cup squad in 2019 and also appeared in the semifinal against England. He is slowly making inroads to becoming the Men in Yellow’s first-choice wicketkeeper across all three formats.

3. Josh Hazlewood from Glenn McGrath

Australia’s star fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was the 440th Australia player to receive the Test cap, the baggy green, given by legendary former pacer Glenn McGrath in Gabba, Brisbane, on December 17, 2014, ahead of a Test match against India. 

Hazlewood picked up five wickets for 68 runs in 23.2 overs in the first innings, and picked up two wickets in the second innings for 74 runs. He has now played 57 Test matches, 61 ODIs and 30 T20Is, picking up a total of 358 international wickets. 

The New South Wales-born is known for his smooth action and ability to produce extra bounce and carry with some seam and swing. Hazlewood currently stands fourth in ODI and first in T20Is, in the ICC bowling rankings and is regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the world at the moment.

4. Rishabh Pant from MS Dhoni

India’s rising star Rishabh Pant, who is dubbed to be the successor of the legendary Indian cricketer MS Dhoni, received the ODI cap number 224 from the great man himself on October 21, 2018, in Guwahati.

In an interview with the International Cricket Council (ICC), he said that receiving a maiden India cap from Dhoni was special since he was someone Pant looked up to for everything. He revealed that the former India captain told him to enjoy the game. The southpaw is currently one of the core members of the Indian team.

Pant has so far played 31 Tests, 27 ODIs and 50 T20Is, and is currently India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in all three formats. In the recently concluded England tour, he scored an unbeaten 125 runs off 113 balls in Old Trafford, Manchester, to win the ODI series for India, and was also named the Player of the Match.

5. Hardik Pandya from Kapil Dev

Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya received India’s ODI cap number 215 from the 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev in Dharamshala ahead of a game against the Kiwis on October 16, 2016. He went on to pick three wickets for 31 runs in seven overs in the match.

Pandya said that was special to receive that cap since he received it from Kapil. He made his T20I debut in 2016 and Test debut in 2017 and has appeared in 66 ODIs, 63 T20Is and 11 Test matches. He has scored 2,688 runs and picked up 128 wickets across all three formats, making him one of the best all-rounders in the world at the moment.

Pandya, in the ODI series of the England tour, helped India seal a famous victory in Manchester, picking up four wickets and scoring 71 runs. He became the first Indian to pick up four wickets and score a fifty in both T20I and ODI, and second overall after Shane Watson.