Former legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar celebrates his 73rd birthday on July 10, 2022. Born in the year 1949 in Mumbai, Gavaskar made his international debut in a Test match against West Indies at Port of Spain in March 1971. Three years later, he played his maiden ODI match against England at Leeds in July 1974. With a Test average of 51.12 and over 10,000 runs, ‘Sunny’ is regarded as one of the finest batters the country has ever produced.

Gavaskar etched his name into the history books when he became the first player to reach the milestone of 10,000 runs in Test cricket. The former right-handed opening batter achieved this incredible feat against Pakistan in Ahmedabad Test in March 1987. Also known as ‘little master’, he held the record for scoring the most centuries (34) in the longest format of the game before his countryman Sachin Tendulkar surpassed his record against Sri Lanka in 2005.

Gavaskar was widely regarded for his solid technique against fast bowlers. Test cricket was his go-to format as he has played sixth-most matches (125) for India in the format. In ODIs, his numbers were not that impressive having hit just a solitary century in 108 games. Talking about his captaincy, he led India in 47 Tests but managed to win only nine matches. Eight times his team lost under his leadership and 30 encounters were drawn. In One-Dayers, Gavaskar donned the captaincy hat 37 times which included 14 victories and 21 losses. Two clashes ended up in no result.

Sunil Gavaskar holds the record for scoring the most runs in a Test series by a debutant

Meanwhile, the Indian legend holds the record for smashing the most runs in a Test series by a debutant. He struck a mammoth 774 runs in eight innings at a stellar average of 154.80 with four centuries and three half-centuries and the highest score of 220 against West Indies in 1971. In the  five-match series, Gavaskar played only four games and created a record that is still not broken. India won the series by a margin of 1-0 and it was their first-ever match and Test series victory over West Indies.

The 1983-World Cup winner, Sunny Gavaskar is still India’s third-highest run-getter in the longest format of the game. The Little Master shattered and created many records in his glorious career which spanned 16 long years. We wish one of the greatest batters in the history of the game and the Mumbai stalwart, Mr.Sunil Gavaskar a very Happy 73rd birthday and healthy life ahead!

Meanwhile, lets Test your knowledge in this quiz based on Sunil Gavaskar’s international career:

One of the finest captains of the Indiancricket team, Sourav Chandidas Ganguly completed his half-century come July 8, 2022. Nicknamed ‘Dada’, the legendary cricketer turned 50 just a day after Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 41st birthday. July is indeed a month of legendary Indian skippers. Born in the locality of Behala in Kolkata in the year 1972, Ganguly is the current President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The former skipper, who is also known as the ‘Prince of Kolkata’, has played 113 Tests and over 300 One-Day Internationals in his exceptional international career which lasted for 16 long years.

He made his debut in an ODI against West Indies in Brisbane in the Benson & Hedges Tri-Series in 1992. Four years later, he played his maiden Test against England at the historic Lord’s stadium in 1996. It turned out to be quite a remarkable debut for him as he smashed a memorable century. Ganguly played a solid knock of 131 off 301 as the match ended in a draw. In 1999, he was appointed as the skipper of the ODI team. ‘Dada’ led India to the finals of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy where they lost the summit clash to New Zealand.

Under his leadership, India jointly won the Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in 2002 and also made it to the finals of the 2003 World Cup, held in South Africa. After a poor start in the tournament, Ganguly and his men pulled up the socks to reach the final of the marquee event for the first time since 1983. His team came second-best against a formidable Australian side as they lost the grand finale by 125 runs.

Sourav Ganguly has the highest individual score for India in World Cups

Sourav Ganguly still holds the Indian record for scoring the most runs in an innings in World Cup tournaments. He achieved the feat by slamming 183 runs against Sri Lanka in Taunton in the 1999 World Cup. Dada faced 158 deliveries and struck 17 fours and seven maximums as he also shared a mammoth 318-run stand for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid. The knock remains Ganguly’s best score in the 50-overs format.

Talking about his overall record, Ganguly scored 7212 Test runs at an average of 42.17 which included 16 centuries and 35 half-centuries. In ODIs, he racked up 11363 runs at an average of 41.02 with 72 fifties. As a leader, the southpaw won 76 matches out of 146 in the ODIs. Ganguly holds the record for winning the second-most away Tests (11) for India in 28 matches after Virat Kohli’s 16 victories. On his special occasion, we wish Sourav Ganguly a very happy 50th birthday and a healthy life ahead!

Meanwhile, let’s test your knowledge in this quiz based on Sourav Ganguly’s cricket career:

One of the most successful and India’s greatest captains ever, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD) turned 41 on July 07, 2022. Born in Ranchi, Jharkhand in the year 1981, long-haired Dhoni made his international debut for India in an ODI against Bangladesh in December 2004. His first match turned out to be quite a unique and interesting one as he got run-out for a duck just after facing a solitary delivery. Dhoni took the world by storm in his fifth ODI appearance when he smashed 148 off just 123 with 15 fours and four sixes against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam in 2005.

In the same year in his 22nd outing, MSD stamped his authority yet again with another belligerent and devastating innings of 183* off 145 which include 15 fours and ten maximums against Sri Lanka in a successful run-chase of 299. By that time, he had become a phenomenon in world cricket for his aggressive and counter-attacking style of play. The wicketkeeper batter became a core and vital part of the Indian side for both his batting and keeping qualities.

Ahead of the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007, Dhoni was appointed as the captain of the side and the rest is history. He led a young team to an epic and memorable title victory in South Africa, as he became just the second Indian captain to lift a World Cup in any format after Kapil Dev’s heroics in 1983. If this wasn’t enough, MSD entered the history books again when he won the 50-overs World Cup in 2011 on home soil by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals.

MS Dhoni is the only captain to win WC, T20 WC, and CT

The most successful skipper in the history of the game, MS Dhoni also holds a truly remarkable and exceptional record. He is the only captain in history to have won the trio of 50-overs World Cup, T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy. After clinching both limited-over World Cups in 2007 and 2011, Dhoni went on to win yet another global title, this time in form of the Champions Trophy in 2013 in England. India beat the hosts by five runs in a rain-curtailed final to complete the treble of ICC trophies.

A true ambassador of the World and Indian cricket, MS Dhoni has left a legacy behind him both for his batting and leadership skills which will be talked about for years to come. The legendary player has amassed 10773 runs in 350 ODIs at an average of 50.57. In 90 Tests, Dhoni mustered 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 with six centuries and 33 half-centuries. His record in T20Is was quite underwhelming as he managed to score only 1617 runs in 98 matches at an average of 37.60 with just two half-centuries to his name. As a leader, he has won 42 T20 internationals for India, which is the joint second-most with Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan.

Talking about his staggering captaincy record in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dhoni won four titles for his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. Under his leadership, CSK has managed to reach the finals for a record nine times in the league’s history. The Chennai-based franchise also won two Champions League (CL) trophies in the years 2010 and 2014 under the stewardship of the great Dhoni. On his 41^st birthday, we wish MS Dhoni a Very Happy Birthday and a more successful life ahead!

Meanwhile, lets test your knowledge in this quiz based on MS Dhoni’s career:

Born in Dublin, Morgan made his international debut for Ireland in an ODI against Scotland in the year 2006. It was quite a memorable first match for him as he scored over 90 runs and was named the Player of the Match with his side winning the match by 85 runs. In the year 2009, Morgan made a switch to the England side and he went on to represent them for the next 13 years.

In 2014, he was appointed the full-time skipper of England’s white-ball teams ahead of the 2015 World Cup. Having suffered an embarrassment in that marquee tournament, where the team didn’t even qualify for the quarter-finals, he then revolutionized the side completely with his leadership. Post that World Cup, the team played an entertaining and high-scoring ODI series against New Zealand at home, and that was the turning point for England’s drastic change in the limited-overs setup. Since then, the English side became a destructive force in ODIs and the T20Is.

Eoin Morgan is the most successful skipper in T20Is

Meanwhile, Eoin Morgan has won most matches as a captain in T20 Internationals. In 72 matches, he led England to 44 victories, 27 losses, and one game that ended in no result. India’s MS Dhoni and Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan are tied in the second spot for winning 42 matches each for their respective countries.

Coming to his batting numbers, Morgan played 248 ODIs and scored 7701 runs at an average of 39.29 which includes 47 half-centuries. In T20Is, he amassed 2458 runs in 115 matches at an average of 28.58 with 14 fifties. His Test career never took off as he managed to score only 700 runs in 16 games at an average of 30.43 with two centuries and three fifties. The dashing batter holds the record for smashing the most maximums (17) in ODI innings, a feat which he achieved against Afghanistan in the 2019 ODI World Cup. Nevertheless, his greatest achievement though will remain the 2019 World Cup triumph, as he became the first-ever England captain to lift the  prestigious trophy.

Meanwhile, let’s test your knowledge in this quiz based on Eoin Morgan’s international career:

The 87th season of the Ranji Trophy, India’s premier First-Class cricket tournament, is done and dusted, and Madhya Pradesh (MP) lifted their maiden title. They defeated the most successful side in the competition’s history, Mumbai, by six wickets in the final clash. Shubham Sharma, who scored 116 and 30 runs in the first and second innings respectively, was named the Player of the Match in the summit encounter. Rajat Patidar and Yash Dubey also smashed centuries in the match to deny Mumbai their 42nd title.

Sarfaraz Khan took the entire tournament by storm yet again as his spectacular form in domestic cricket continued. The 24-year-old right-handed batter hammered 982 runs in just nine innings at a mind-boggling average of 122.75 with the highest score of 275. Patidar, who scored 333 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, ended the Ranji Trophy season as the second-highest run-getter behind Sarfaraz with 658 runs.

Madhya Pradesh’s coach Chandrakant Pandit won his record sixth trophy as a coach in India’s first-class cricket championship. Shams Mulani, Mumbai’s slow left-arm orthodox bowler, took over 40 wickets as he ended up the season as the highest wicket-taker. MP’s spinner Kumar Kartikeya took the second-most wickets (32) in this edition as he played a vital role in winning the first-ever title for his side. Pacer Gaurav Yadav took the second-most scalps (23) for MP in their victorious campaign.

 Sarfaraz Khan becomes the first player to smash 900-plus runs in successive seasons

Meanwhile, prolific Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan has been scoring runs for fun in the Ranji Trophy. He became the first batter to breach the 900-plus runs mark in consecutive editions. In the 2019/20 campaign, he slammed 928 runs in nine innings at an average of 154.66 with three centuries and two half-centuries with the highest score of 301*. The other two batters who struck 900-plus runs on two different occasions are Ajay Sharma and Wasim Jaffer. The former hammered 933 runs in 1991/92 and 1045 in 1996/97 seasons. Jaffer racked up 1260 runs in the 2008/09 edition and 1037 in 2018/19.

Speaking more of Sarfaraz’s heroics, he now has the second-best average (81.61), only behind Don Bradman (95.14), among batters with a minimum of 2000 runs in first-class cricket. The youngster has so far amassed 2530 runs in 37 innings with eight centuries and seven half-centuries. If it was Saurashtra who won their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2019/20 season, then it was now time for Madhya Pradesh to create their own history by sealing a memorable victory over the 41-time champions Mumbai.

Meanwhile, let’s test your knowledge in this quiz based on Ranji Trophy 2021/22-2022 season:

After serving Indian cricket for 23 years, Mithali Raj has finally decided to hang up her boots. On June 08, 2022, the former Indian skipper brought down the curtains on her stellar career, by announcing her retirement from all forms of international cricket. Mithali made her India debut way back in the year 1999, appearing in an ODI against Ireland in Milton Keynes, England. And it turned out to be a dream debut for Jodhpur-born Mithali, as she slammed a century in her very first match itself.

She also became the youngest batter (16y 205d) to hit a hundred on her ODI debut, a record that is still unbroken. South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt is second behind her, for achieving the feat aged 17y 105d. Mithali is one of the two Indian players to script a century on her ODI debut along with Reshma Gandhi. Interestingly, the latter too achieved the landmark in the same Ireland match in June 1999. In her decorated career, the right-handed batter Mithali also registered the fifties in seven consecutive ODI innings, which is yet another record. Lindsay Reeler, Charlotte Edwards, and Ellyse Perry have all hit fifty-plus scores in six successive innings each.

Mithali Raj has the most runs in Women’s ODIs

One of the finest Indian batters, Mithali Raj also holds the record for scoring the most runs in the 50-overs format. She has amassed 7805 runs in 232 matches at an average of 50.68. In 211 innings, she struck seven centuries and 64 half-centuries with the highest score of 125*. Former England batter Charlotte Edwards is in the second spot for mustering 5992 runs in 191 games. Often called the ‘Tendulkar of the Indian Women’s team’ Mithali scored 64 fifties, which is the most than any other batter.

Speaking about the other formats, she played 12 Tests and racked up 699 runs at an average of 43.68 with one hundred and four fifties. Her innings of 214 against England in 2002 is the best individual score by Indian women in Tests and second overall. Mithali featured in 89 T20Is and notched up 2364 runs at an average of 37.52 with 17 half-centuries to her name and the best score of 97*.

A career that is full of records also includes her appearance in six ODI World Cup tournaments, which is the most by any player. She has also smashed the most runs (10868) and is the only Indian woman with over 10,000 runs in international cricket. Overall, she is only one of the two players to achieve the landmark with the other being Charlotte Edwards (10,273). The second-highest run-getter (1321) in ODI World Cups, Mithali also has another record to her name for longest ODI career (22y 274d).

Meanwhile, let’s test your knowledge in this quiz based on Mithali Raj’s exceptional career:

The league stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition is finally done and dusted after almost a two-month-long period. The 70 matches in the league phase delivered the same excitement and entertainment that was expected from the cricketing fans all around the world. The IPL never fails to disappoint its followers and this season has been no different. The viewers were able to witness the gripping and fascinating encounters as is the case in each edition.

In terms of league standings after the group stage, this campaign has been a completely dissimilar one compared to all the previous 14 competitions. Three of the most successful franchises in the history of the IPL namely, Mumbai Indians (MI), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all failed to enter the Playoffs. The three mentioned teams, who share a staggering 11 titles between them, struggled throughout the tournament and finally ended outside the top four in the points table. KKR finished sixth while CSK and MI occupied the ninth and tenth positions respectively.

Two new franchises shine in their debut season

The 15th edition of the IPL saw two new franchises Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) making their debut. The two sides didn’t disappoint as they shone throughout the tournament and qualified for the Playoffs in their maiden season itself. GT turned out to be the most impressive amongst the two as they finished the league phase top of the table with 20 points under their belt. They won ten matches and lost only four to mark their entry in style in the IPL. LSG ended up in the third spot as they missed out on the second position with their net run rate being slightly lower than Rajasthan Royals (RR).

IPL 2022 also witnessed three world-class batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Kane Williamson suffering miserably for form. Rohit endured his worst season ever as the dashing opener scored just 268 runs in 14 outings with no fifty to his name. Williamson managed to amass only 216 runs in 13 innings while Virat ended the group stage with better numbers than the other two. He mustered 309 runs in 14 innings at a poor average of 23.76 with two fifties.

Talking about the Orange and Purple caps race, Jos Buttler still holds the edge over second-placed KL Rahul. RR batter Buttler has 629 runs to his name with Rahul scoring 537. In terms of wickets, the competition is hotting up between two quality leg spinners. Yuzvendra Chahal has 26 wickets while Wanindu Hasaranga is second in the chart for snaring 24 scalps so far.

Both will get more opportunities in the Playoffs to try and grab the award. So after all the drama and climax which occurred in these 70 clashes, the IPL is all set to end on a high with four quality teams fighting it for the title. A new champion is on the cards while RR could also secure their second trophy after the fairytale success in the inaugural 2008 season.

Meanwhile, let’s test your knowledge in this quiz based on the completion of the league phase of IPL 2022:

The brand new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway from March 26, 2022, with the first match taking place between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), a re-match of the last year’s final, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This year the excitement level for IPL will rise even more as two new teams – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – are introduced, making it the tournament of ten teams. Over the 14 years, the league has never ever disappointed cricket lovers around the world with its nail-biting matches, action-packed encounters, and memorable moments.

Notably, all the 70 matches in the league stage of IPL 2022 will be held in Maharashtra across four venues. The three grounds in Mumbai namely Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, and DY Patil Sports Stadium are set to host a total of 55 games while the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune will stage the remaining 15 clashes in the cash-rich league. Notably, 10 teams are featuring in IPL for the first time since the year 2011.

MI and CSK share nine titles between them

Two of the most successful franchises in the history of IPL, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians share a staggering nine trophies between them out of the 14 seasons played. Both sides clashed in 2010 final in Navi Mumbai and it was CSK, who was triumphed. They also won the title next year in 2011 by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the summit clash. After returning from a two-year ban in 2018, CSK lifted their third trophy in 2018 when they beat SRH in the final. MS Dhoni led his side to the fourth title last year when they emerged victorious against KKR in the ultimate clash.

On the other hand, Mumbai Indians have won the trophies under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. They clinched the title for the first time in the year 2013. Their second trophy success came in 2015 where they once agains defeated CSK in the summit clash. In 2017, they got over the line against Rising Pune Supergiants and in 2019 against CSK. Their fifth and last success came in the year 2020. Notably, CSK and MI are the only teams to win back-to-back titles. KKR couldn’t manage to achieve this feat as they won the trophies in 2012 and 2014.

Notably, with the addition of the two new teams, cricket fans around the globe are already excited and pumped up for the tournament. With the season being underway, the 2022 IPL is all set to enthrall the fans with its high-voltage and mouth-watering encounters, drama, emotions, and action. The 15th season of the IPL promises to be one solid tournament with cricket lovers being glued to their television sets for over a two-month-long period.

Meanwhile, let’s check your knowledge in this quiz based on the history of the Indian Premier League

Australia’s legendary spin bowler Shane Warne passed away due to a suspected heart attack on March 4, 2022, in Thailand aged 52. The spin wizard was found unresponsive in his villa and his news left the entire cricketing world in a state of shock. Arguably, the best leg-spinner of all time, Warne nicknamed ‘Warnie’ had played 145 Tests and taken a massive 708 wickets, which makes him the second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

He also appeared in 194 ODI matches, taking 293 scalps with an average of 25.73. The spin king was part of Australia’s World Cup-winning campaign in the year 1999. In that World Cup, he was also the Player of the Match in both the semi-final and the final encounters against South Africa and Pakistan respectively. One of the greatest bowlers of all time, Warnie famously bamboozled former England batter Mike Gatting when he shattered his stumps in Manchester during the Ashes series in 1993. As the ball spun miles, that delivered earned the title ‘Ball of the Century. An iconic name in international cricket, Warnie was also a part of Australia’s five Ashes triumph during his career.

Shane Warne took 96 Test wickets in 2005, the most by any in a calendar year

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne snared 96 wickets in 15 Test matches in the year 2005, which is the most by any bowler in a calendar year. In 30 innings, the legbreak bowler took five-wicket hauls six times and ten wickets in a match twice. In that year, his best bowling figures in an innings were 6/46 and in a match 12/246.

Out of those 96 scalps, 40 came in the famous Ashes series held in England where Warne bowled a spectacular delivery to Andrew Strauss to shatter his stumps, leaving each and everyone stunned with his skillful leg-spin bowling in the Edgbaston Test match. The wicket was as magical as that of Gatting in the 1993 Ashes series. In five matches of the 2005 Ashes, Warne averaged 19.92 with a strike rate of 37.2. Australia lost that series 2-1 but it is regarded as one of the best Test series ever and also remembered for Warne’s individual brilliance throughout the five games.

Post International retirement, Warne played for Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 and it turned out to be a great fairy tale. With his top-notch captaincy, against all the odds, Warnie won the title for RR, who were considered as underdogs before the start of the tournament. Nobody gave RR a chance before the season began but Warne with his excellent leadership inspired the youngsters to lift the trophy. While Warne has breathed his last, the tale of his on-field heroics and outgoing personality will continue to inspire many, at least till the time cricket exists.

 Meanwhile, let’s test your knowledge in this quiz based on Shane Warne’s sensational career

Virat Kohli, after leading the team for seven fruitful years in the Test format, finally decided to step down from the leadership role as within few months, he is no longer a captain in any format of the game. It all started in September just nearl,y one month before the start of the T20 World Cup 2021, when the star Indian batter announced his decision to quit as a T20I skipper. Days after announcing his departure from India’s T20I captaincy, Kohli gave another shock to his fans this time by stepping down from Royal Challengers Bangalore’s captaincy role in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Kohli led franchise RCB for nine long seasons with no trophy but the 33-years old will continue playing for the team as a specialist batter under the new skipper. He, along with Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and India’s pacer Mohammed Siraj, was retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. In December 2021, BCCI removed Kohli from the ODI captaincy as the board declared Rohit Sharma as the new leader of the Indian team for the 50-overs format.

Virat Kohli finishes as India’s most successful Test skipper, fourth overall 

Kohli ended his Test captaincy tenure by winning 40 matches out of 68 for his country, becoming India’s most successul Test skipper. MS Dhoni captained the team in 60 Test matches with victories achieved in 27 games. Sourav Ganguly marshaled his troops in 49 games with wins coming in 21 Tests. Overall, Kohli is the fourth most successful captain in the history of Test cricket as Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith, and Steve Waugh are the top three leaders with 53, 48, and 41 Test wins under their belt respectively.

Virat shattered a flurry of captaincy records during his reign as he became the first Indian captain to win a Test series on Australian soil. He captained the Indian team to four overseas Test victories twice in a calendar year in 2018 and 2021. He became the first Indian and also Asian skipper to win a Test match in Centurion. With seven wins in SENA countries, he also created history by becoming the first Asian to record the feat.

The aggressive King Kohli will surely be missed by the Indian fans as he matched fire with fire on the field while leading his side. The above records speak volumes for someone who took his team from seventh to number one in the ICC Test rankings and kept the hold on that spot for five consecutive years. The Indian team also reached the final of the inaugural WTC in June 2021 under the stewardship of Kohli where they faced New Zealand with the result not going their way as they got defeated by 8 wickets.

Meanwhile, its time to check your knowledge based on Virat Kohli’s international captaincy career