India | Team Bio

Due to India’s long historical connections to the British Empire, the game has long held a footprint in Indian sporting culture. However, despite the popularity of the game, the India international cricket team didn’t play their first fixture until 1932. Remarkably, it took 20 years for India to win their first test match, which finally came in 1952.

Since India’s breakthrough at the international level, they have quickly grown to become one of the dominant forces in the game. A perennial contender in the world’s biggest events, the Men in Blue have won five ICC events, including the ODI World Cup twice, the T20 World Cup once, and the ICC Champions Trophy twice.

The country has also played a huge role in revolutionizing franchise cricket with the tremendous success of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL first launched in 2008 and, through its innovative draft system, saw hundreds of the world’s best players get paid huge amounts for signing up to the competition’s franchises. Shown all over the world, the IPL is one of the most highly viewed sport competitions in the world, often attracting a viewership of millions. 

India’s Current ICC Team Rankings

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body of world cricket and is responsible for the world rankings across the different formats of the game. Below, you will see the current India cricket ranking across all ICC formats.

Test Rankings

ODI Rankings

Largest victories 

When India won the ODI World Cup for a second time in 2011, the night promised to live long in the memory. Considering that it had been 28 years since India had last won the ODI World Cup, the 2011 tournament promised to be a defining tournament for the country. With India hosting the tournament, the pressure was well and truly on MS Dhoni and his team of talented players to deliver.

India’s route to the final wasn’t easy. After qualifying second in their group, India had to overcome the challenges of Australia and Pakistan before locking horns with Sri Lanka in the final. 

Despite losing a flurry of wickets, captain MS Dhoni eventually guided his country to a famous victory. The final will be remembered as Sachin Tendulkar’s final World Cup match. It’s estimated that an audience of more than 500 million people tuned in to watch the final. 

Famous rivalries 

India’s biggest rivals, without any shadow of a doubt, are Pakistan. Due to political tensions between the two nations, matches between the two sides are only held in ICC events. When the pair do meet in events such as the ODI or T20 World Cups, these are often some of the most passionate and intense cricket matches you would ever wish to see. The most recent contest between the sides at the 2022 T20 World Cup saw more than 90,000 fans attend the contest at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Batting records 

India national cricket team players have long graced the game, with many being regarded as the best to have ever played. Here is a quick rundown of some of India’s greats.

Most test runs for India

Sachin Tendulkar is not only India’s highest-ever test scorer, but he is also the all-time leading scorer in international cricket. A true great of the game, Tendulkar retired having scored 15,921 runs.

Most test wickets for India

In India, spin bowling can often be crucial, and in Anil Kumble, India had one of the very best to ever do it. Kumble took 619 wickets at an average of 29.65. Kumble ranks fourth in the list of all-time wicket takers.

Most T20I runs for India

Former T20 captain Virat Kohli is one of the game’s biggest stars and he has millions of fans all over the world. Kohli is India’s all-time leading T20 run scorer, having scored 4,008 runs – the most ever scored in the format.

Most T20I wickets for India

India have often turned to spin to win them vital T20 matches, and in Yuzvendra Chahal they have one of the greatest to ever do it. Chahal has taken 92 T20 wickets, making him his country’s highest wicket taker in T20 history.