From Brendon McCullum to Virender Sehwag, know the cricketers to hit most sixes in Tests
England all-rounder and Test captain Ben Stokes has hit the most sixes in Tests. He recently overtook Brendon McCullum to take top spot for most sixes in Tests.
Stokes, who is captaining England in Tests, is likely to extend his lead for sixes in Test cricket with a lot of red-ball cricket ahead of him.
Stokes, in fact, went past McCullum's record with the New Zealander as the coach of the English Test team. England's aggressive style of Test cricket means that Stoke is likely to finish his career with a sizeable lead as far as sixes in Tests go.
Meanwhile, after making his Test debut against South Africa in 2004, Brendon McCullum smashed 107 sixes in the 101 Tests that he played.
Considered to be one of the most destructive batters in modern cricket history, the former New Zealand captain amassed 6,453 runs in 101 matches at an average of 38.64. His strike rate in Tests was a healthy 64.6.
Interestingly, McCullum holds the record for the fastest Test century, having reached the milestone off just 54 balls against arch-rivals Australia in Christchurch in 2016. He was eventually dismissed for 145 off just 79 balls, which included 21 fours and six sixes.
McCullum features fourth on the list of most sixes in international cricket, having smashed 398 sixes in 474 matches. Only West Indies’ Chris Gayle (553), Shahid Afridi of Pakistan (476) and India’s Rohit Sharma (464) have hit more sixes in international cricket.
Former Australian wicket-keeper batter Adam Gilchrist has also hit 100 sixes in Tests.
While Gilchrist clobbered 100 sixes in 96 Tests, Stokes has smashed the same number of sixes in just 82 Tests.
Chris Gayle and former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis complete the top five list of most sixes in Tests. Gayle hit 98 sixes in the 103 Test matches that he played while Kallis smashed 97 sixes in 166 Tests.
Virender Sehwag has hit the most sixes in Test match cricket for an Indian. The former opening batter hit 91 sixes in 104 Tests and features sixth on the list of most sixes in Tests. Sehwag managed 243 sixes in 374 matches in international cricket.
Meanwhile, MS Dhoni features second on the list of most sixes by Indians in Tests. The former India captain smashed 78 sixes in the 90 Tests that he played between 2005 and 2014.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is third on the list of most sixes by Indians in Tests. Having made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar hit 69 sixes in 200 Tests. The India cricket legend ended his illustrious career with 264 sixes in 664 matches.
Rohit Sharma and Kapil Dev complete the top five list of most sixes by Indians in Tests. While Rohit has smashed 66 sixes in just 46 Test matches, Kapil Dev hit 61 sixes in 131 Tests.
Most sixes in Tests
Player
Matches
Runs
Average
SR
6s
Ben Stokes (ENG)
92
5712
35.92
58.83
109
Brendon McCullum (NZ)
101
6453
38.64
64.60
107
Adam Gilchrist (AUS)
96
5570
47.60
81.95
100
Chris Gayle (WI)
103
7214
42.18
60.26
98
Jacques Kallis (SA)
166
13289
55.37
45.97
97
Virender Sehwag (IND)
104
8586
49.34
82.23
91
Most sixes by Indians in Tests
Player
Matches
Runs
Average
SR
6s
Virender Sehwag
104
8586
49.34
82.23
91
MS Dhoni
90
4876
38.09
59.11
78
Sachin Tendulkar
200
15921
53.78
54.04
69
Rohit Sharma
47
3320
46.76
56.02
68
Kapil Dev
131
5248
31.05
79.33
61
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India Maharajas face World Giants in exhibition match to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence - watch live
India Maharajas will square off against World Giants in a special exhibition match to kick off the second edition of Legends League Cricket at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on September 16. The opening match of Legends League Cricket2022 will start at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
The special exhibition has been organised to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence.
Former swashbuckling opening batter Virender Sehwag has been appointed the captain of India Maharajas while legendary South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis will lead the World Giants.
Cricketers from 10 different nations are expected to feature in the high-profile encounter.
“This is a proud moment for us to celebrate the 75th year of our independence. As a proud Indian, it gives me immense satisfaction to share that we have decided to dedicate this year's league to the 75th year of Independence celebration,” said Legends League Cricket Commissioner Ravi Shastri.
Apart from captain Virender Sehwag, India Maharajas have roped in Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammed Kaif, Parthiv Patel, Ajay Jadeja, Joginder Sharma, Stuart Binny and several other former Indian cricketers.
On the other hand, Brett Lee, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dale Steyn, Jonty Rhodes, Mitchell Johnson, Herschelle Gibbs and Sanath Jayasuriya are included in World Giants’ squad under the leadership of Jacques Kallis.
Previously, BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly was appointed the captain of India Maharajas while England World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan was supposed to lead the World Giants. However, both legendary names pulled out of the tournament.
India Maharajas vs World Giants squads
India Maharajas: Virender Sehwag (captain), Mohammed Kaif, Yusuf Pathan, Subramaniam Badrinath, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Stuart Binny, S Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Naman Ojha (wicket-keeper), Ashoke Dinda, Pragyan Ojha, Ajay Jadeja, RP Singh, Joginder Sharma, Reetinder Singh Sodhi
World Giants: Jacques Kallis (captain), Lendl Simmons, Herschelle Gibbs, Sanath Jayasuriya, Matt Prior (wicket-keeper), Nathan McCullum, Jonty Rhodes, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dale Steyn, Hamilton Masakadza, Mashrafe Mortaza, Asghar Afghan, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Kevin O’Brien, Denesh Ramdin (wicket-keeper)
Where to watch India Maharajas vs World Giants exhibition match live in India?
The India Maharajas vs World Giants exhibition match of Legends League Cricket 2022 will be telecast live on Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 Hindi and their respective HD TV channels in India.
For other regional coverage, cricket fans can tune in to Star Sports 1 Tamil and Star Sports 1 Kannada.
Live streaming of the India Maharajas vs World Giants exhibition match will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.
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Legends League Cricket 2022: All you need to know - watch live in India
The second edition of Legends League Cricket is all set to be played between September 16 and October 5 in India.
Featuring four teams, a total of 15 matches will be played across 20 days. Bhilwara Kings, Gujarat Giants, India Capitals and Manipal Tigers are the four teams participating in Legends League Cricket 2022.
As per the schedule, each team will play the other side in the competition in a double round-robin format. The top two teams in the league phase will compete in the Qualifier for a place in the final while the loser will face the third-placed team in the Eliminator to qualify for the summit clash.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan will lead Bhilwara Kings while Virender Sehwag has been appointed captain of Gujarat Giants.
Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir has been given the responsibility to lead India Capitals and Manipal Tigers will be led by former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
An exhibition match between Sourav Ganguly-led India Maharajas and Eoin Morgan’s World Giants will kick-off Legends League Cricket 2022 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Legendary cricketers including Brett Lee, Chris Gayle, Muttiah Muralitharan, Virender Sehwag, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson will take part in the upcoming edition of the tournament.
Apart from Eden Gardens, matches are scheduled to be played at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Cuttack’s Barabati Cricket Stadium and Barkatullah Khan Stadium in Jodhpur. Venues for the eliminator and the final are yet to be announced.
World Giants clinched the inaugural edition of the Legends League Cricket tournament, defeating Asia Lions by 25 runs in the final at Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman earlier in January this year.
Legends League Cricket 2022 teams and squad
Bhilwara Kings: Irfan Pathan (captain), Yusuf Pathan, Monty Panesar, Naman Ojha (wicket-keeper), William Porterfield, Samit Patel, Fidel Edwards, Matt Prior (wicket-keeper), Nick Compton, Sreesanth, Tim Bresnan, Owais Shah, Tino Best, Sudeep Tyagi
Gujarat Giants: Virender Sehwag (captain), Chris Gayle, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Ajantha Mendis, Manvinder Bisla (wicket-keeper), Lendl Simmons, Mitchell McClenaghan, Stuart Binny, Kevin O'Brien, Daniel Vettori, Ashoke Dinda, Joginder Sharma, Graeme Swann, Richard Levi, Chris Tremlett, Elton Chigumbura
India Capitals: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Ravi Bopara, Pravin Tambe, Denesh Ramdin (wicket-keeper), Ashgar Afghan, Mitchell Johnson, Liam Plunkett, Rajat Bhatia, Hamilton Masakazda, Mashrafe Mortaza, John Mooney, Prosper Utseya, Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Farveez Maharoof, Pankaj Singh
Manipal Tigers: Harbhajan Singh (captain), Brett Lee, Muttiah Muralitharan, Phil Mustard (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Kaif, Ryan Sidebottom, Lance Klusener, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Romesh Kaluwithrana (wicket-keeper), Darren Sammy, Corey Anderson, Imran Tahir, Reetinder Sodhi, Parvinder Awana, VRV Singh
Legends League Cricket 2022 schedule and live India match times
All timings are in India Standard Time (IST)
Day and Date
Match
Venue
Time (IST)
Friday, September 16
India Maharajas vs World Giants, Exhibition match
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
7:30 PM
Saturday, September 17
India Capitals vs Gujarat Giants
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
7:30 PM
Sunday, September 18
Manipal Tigers vs Bhilwara Kings
BRSAB Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
7:30 PM
Monday, September 19
Gujarat Giants vs Manipal Tigers
BRSAB Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
7:30 PM
Wednesday, September 21
India Capitals vs Bhilwara Kings
BRSAB Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
7:30 PM
Thursday, September 22
Gujarat Giants vs Manipal Tigers
Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
7:30 PM
Saturday, September 24
India Capitals vs Bhilwara Kings
Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
7:30 PM
Sunday, September 25
India Capitals vs Gujarat Giants
Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
7:30 PM
Monday, September 26
Manipal Tigers vs Bhilwara Kings
Barabati Cricket Stadium, Cuttack
7:30 PM
Tuesday, September 27
Gujarat Giants vs Bhilwara Kings
Barabati Cricket Stadium, Cuttack
7:30 PM
Thursday, September 29
India Capitals vs Manipal Tigers
Barabati Cricket Stadium, Cuttack
7:30 PM
Friday, September 30
Gujarat Giants vs Bhilwara Kings
Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur
7:30 PM
Saturday, October 1
India Capitals vs Manipal Tigers
Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur
7:30 PM
Sunday, October 2
Qualifier
Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur
7:30 PM
Monday, October 3
Eliminator
Yet to be decided
7:30 PM
Wednesday, October 5
Legends League Cricket 2022 final
Yet to be decided
7:30 PM
Where to watch Legend League Cricket 2022 live in India?
The Legends League Cricket 2022 matches will be telecast live on Star Sports Network’s TV channels in India.
Live streaming ofLegends League Cricket 2022 matches will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.
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From highest total to best bowling figures: Know every ODI record at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago
The Queen’s Park Oval is a picturesque cricket stadium located at the Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Owned by the Queen's Park Cricket Club, the stadium was established in 1896 and is currently the second largest cricket stadium in the Caribbean.
It is the home ground of Trinidad and Tobago cricket team and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Trinidad Knight Riders.
The Queen’s Park Oval has hosted 61 Test matches till date - the most for any cricket ground in the West Indies. Considered to be one of the most beautiful cricket venues, it has also staged 70 ODIs including several World Series Cricket matches in 1979 and was one of the venues for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Furthermore, the venue has played host to six T20I matches so far.
With a seating capacity of around 20,000, the venue also has various impressive facilities including a gym, indoor and outdoor cricket practice nets, two squash courts and two outdoor tennis courts.
Mostly used for cricket matches, the Trindad and Tobago sports stadium has also hosted domestic and international football matches and numerous music concerts.
The Indian cricket team has a decent ODI record at the Queen’s Park Oval having won 11 matches at this venue.
Here, we look at some ODI records and stats at Queen’s Park Oval.
Queen’s Park Oval ODI records and stats
Highest team total: India hold the record for registering the highest ODI total at the Queen’s Park Oval. During the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, India rode on Virender Sehwag’s 114 off 87 balls, Sourav Ganguly’s 89 and Yuvraj Singh’s 46-ball 83 to post 413/5 in their 50 overs. In reply, Bermuda were bowled out for 156 as India secured a massive 257-run victory.
Lowest team total: Canada cricket team recorded the lowest team total at this venue in the ODI format. Chasing 219, Canada were bundled out for 75 against Zimbabwe in an ICC Tri-Series match in 2006. Pacer Tawanda Mupariwa was the wrecker-in-chief for Zimbabwe as he picked three wickets for just 30 runs in his quota of 10 overs.
Highest individual score: Legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara has the highest individual score in ODI cricket at the Queen’s Park Oval. The swashbuckling southpaw scored an unbeaten 146 off 134 balls against New Zealand during an ODI in 1996. Lara’s scintillating ton helped West Indies win the match by seven wickets.
Best bowling figures: Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has the best bowling figures at this venue in 50-over cricket. The right-arm medium pacer recorded figures of 6/25 against West Indies during an ODI in 2002. Earlier, he also scored an unbeaten 63 to help the Kiwis post a competitive total on the board. Styris’ all-round powered New Zealand to a nine-run win in a rain-curtailed game.
Most runs: Brian Lara has scored the most ODI runs at Queen’s Park Oval till date. The former West Indies batter amassed 1276 runs in 30 ODIs at an average of 55.47 and a strike rate of 79.15. He notched two hundreds and eight fifties at this venue in ODIs. Former West Indies opening batter Desmond Haynes is second on the list with 828 runs in 18 matches at an average of 63.69.
Most wickets: Former West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose has picked the most wickets at this venue in the 50-over format. Between 1988 and 2000, the right-arm pacer claimed 24 wickets in 21 ODIs at an average of 26.87 and an economy of 3.47. His best bowling figures at the venue was 4/36 against India in 1997.
Highest partnership: Former India cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag hold the record for the highest partnership at the Queen’s Park Oval in ODI cricket. The Indian duo recorded a brilliant 202-run stand for the second wicket against Bermuda in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. Sehwag smashed 114 off just 87 balls while Ganguly scored 89 off 114 balls.
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Fastest 50 in Test cricket: Misbah-ul-Haq on top while Rishabh Pant holds Indian record
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq leads the list for the fastest fifty in Test cricket, with his record 21-ball half-century against Australia in an Abu Dhabi Test in 2014.
Misbah, who played 75 Tests for the Pakistan cricket team, slammed four boundaries and four sixes as he reached the milestone in just 24 minutes, a record for the fastest fifty in Test cricket by minutes.
The middle-order batter would go on to score an unbeaten 101 in the Test and join a list of cricketers to score centuries in both innings of a Test match.
Australian opener David Warner is the second player to hit the fastest fifty in Test cricket. The southpaw took 23 balls to reach 50 in the third Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in 2017.
Warner’s effort helped Australia to a confident start of 53/0 in 13 overs as he broke a 39-year-old national record previously set by Bruce Yardley against West Indies in 1978.
Since David Warner’s 23-ball fifty, Jacques Kallis (24 balls vs Zimbabwe, 2005), Shane Shillingford (25 balls vs New Zealand, 2014) and Shahid Afridi (26 balls vs India, 2005) have registered the fastest fifty in Test cricket among international cricketers.
Fastest 50 in Test: The top five list
Player
Opponents
Balls faced
Year
Misbah-ul-Haq
Australia
21
2014
David Warner
Pakistan
23
2017
Jacques Kallis
Zimbabwe
24
2005
Shane Shillingford
New Zealand
25
2014
Shahid Afridi
India
26
2005
Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh v India, 2007) and Dale Steyn (South Africa v West Indies, 2014) matched Afridi’s 26-ball feat of the fastest fifty in Test cricket.
Fastest 50 in Test for India: Rishabh Pant the new record holder
Rishabh Pant broke Kapil Dev's 40-year-old record for the fastest fifty in Test cricket by an Indian batter in a Pink-ball Test between India and Sri Lanka in 2022.
Pant slammed seven fours and two sixes to reach his fifty in just 28 deliveries in the second innings of the second Test at the M Chinnaswamy in Bengaluru. In doing so, the wicketkeeper-batter surpassed Kapil Dev’s effort of 30 balls against Pakistan in Karachi in 1982.
Rishabh Pant also broke MS Dhoni's record for the fastest fifty by a wicket-keeper batter in Test cricket. Pant’s 28-ball effort broke Dhoni’s record of 34 balls that the former shared with former Australia gloveman Ian Smith.
All-rounder Shardul Thakur initially came close to breaking Kapil Dev’s record when he hit a 31-ball fifty against England in an Oval Test in 2021.
From Brian Lara to Chris Gayle, know the highest individual Test scores
West Indies great Brian Lara’s unbeaten knock of 400 against England in 2004 is the highest individual Test score. The top-order player batted for nearly 13 hours as he became the first cricketer ever to score 400-plus runs in an international Test.
With Windies electing to bat first against a Michael Vaughan-led England, Lara came into bat at number three after Daren Ganga was dismissed for 10 runs. And the rest is history.
Brian Lara smashed 43 boundaries and four sixes in his historic knock as West Indies registered a first innings score of 751/5d in their 2004 Test. The team total ended up being one of Windies’ highest Test scores.
However, this wasn’t the first time Lara scored the highest individual Test score. In 1994, the Windies legend hit 375 runs against England at Antigua and broke a 36-year record set by Garfield Sobers in 1958.
The second player on this list is Matthew Hayden. The Australian opener broke Brian Lara’s nine-year record for the highest individual Test score with his knock of 380 against Zimbabwe in Perth in 2003. Put to bat first, hosts Australia rode on Hayden’s first and only triple hundred to pile on a match-winning total of 735/6d.
Fourth on the list, Mahela Jayawardene registered the highest individual Test score by a Sri Lankan cricketer when he hammered 374 runs against South Africa in a 2006 Colombo Test. By doing so, Jayawardene became just the second player after Sanath Jayasuriya (340 vs India, Colombo, 1997) to score a triple century.
Sir Garry Sobers - fifth on our list - previously held the record for highest individual Test score from 1958 to 1994. Sobers, the first player to hit six sixes in an over, remained unbeaten on 365 against Pakistan in the 1958 Kingston Test. Garry Sobers scored his maiden Test century in the match before going forward to add another 265 runs to his impressive innings.
Among Indian cricketers, Virender Sehwag has the highest individual Test score. The legendary India opener scored 319 runs in the 2008 Chennai Test, which the hosts eventually drew against South Africa. What sets this knock apart from Sehwag’s Test centuries is that the opener reached his triple century in 278 balls - the fastest Test triple century by number of balls faced.
Highest individual Test score
Player
Opponent
Runs
Year
Brian Lara
England
400*
2004
Matthew Hayden
Zimbabwe
380
2003
Brian Lara
England
375
1994
Mahela Jayawardene
South Africa
374
2006
Garfield Sobers
Pakistan
365*
1958
Leonard Hutton
Australia
364
1938
Sanath Jayasuriya
India
340
1997
Hanif Mohammad
West Indies
337
1958
Wally Hammond
New Zealand
336*
1933
David Warner
Pakistan
335*
2019
Mark Taylor
Pakistan
334*
1998
Don Bradman
England
334
1930
Graham Gooch
India
333
1990
Chris Gayle
Sri Lanka
333
2010
Michael Clarke
India
329*
2012
Inzamam-ul-Haq
New Zealand
329
2002
Andy Sandham
West Indies
325
1930
Virender Sehwag
South Africa
319
2008
Kumar Sangakkara
Bangladesh
319
2014
Chris Gayle
South Africa
317
2005
Author: William Paul
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Know the players with most triple centuries in Test cricket
Don Bradman, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Brian Lara hold the joint record for most triple centuries in Test cricket. These four players have scored two triple centuries in the longest format.
Among them, Lara is credited with the record for scoring the highest individual score in Tests after he made an unbeaten 582-ball 400 against England in 2004. Interestingly, his other 300-plus score also came against England, albeit some 10 years before he became the only player to smash a quadruple century in international cricket.
During the fifth Test of England’s tour of West Indies in 1994, the former Windies captain scored 375 to power his team to 593/5d. The match was eventually drawn.
Meanwhile, Don Bradman was the quickest player to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. The former Australia captain did so in a mere 52 matches. He could have become the only player to score three triple tons in Test cricket, but had to settle for an unbeaten 299 when Australia beat South Africa in the fourth Test in 1932.
Bradman’s highest Test score was, in fact, his first triple century. The top-order batter scored 334 against England in 1930. Four years later, he got his second triple hundred, scoring 304 against England in Leeds.
Chris Gayle, on the other hand, scored his first triple ton against South Africa in 2005. The hard-hitter smashed 317 runs to take his team to 747. The match was drawn after Graeme Smith and Boeta Dippenaar frustrated the Windies bowler with some stubborn batting on the final day. His second triple ton came against Sri Lanka in November 2010, with the southpaw scoring 333 in a match that was also drawn.
Lastly, Virender Sehwag, who scored a century on his Test debut, made his first triple ton (309) against Pakistan in 2004 and second (319) against South Africa in 2008.
It is interesting to note that as many as 27 players have accounted for a total of 31 triple centuries in Test cricket.
A whopping seven players from Australia are among those 27 players followed by five from England, four each from West Indies and Pakistan, three from Sri Lanka and two from India. Apart from Sehwag, Karun Nair is another Indian to score 300-plus runs in Tests.
India’s highest score in Test cricket: Know the mammoth totals
India’s highest score in Testcricket came against England at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in 2016.
India rode on Karun Nair’s highest score in Test (303) and KL Rahul’s magnificent hundred (199) to post 759/7d in the first innings of the fifth Test. Nair became just the second Indian to smash a triple century in Test cricket after Virender Sehwag, who has hit two triple tons in cricket’s longest format.
Meanwhile, Parthiv Patel (71), Ravichandran Ashwin (67) and Ravindra Jadeja (51) also contributed to India’s mammoth total on the board against a tired-looking English bowling attack.
Earlier, opting to bat first, England registered 477 in their first innings before they were bowled out for 207 in their second innings. India won the fifth Test by an innings and 75 runs after enforcing a follow-on, thereby clinching the five-match Test series 4-0.
The second on the list of India’s highest score in Testis 726/9d which they posted against Sri Lanka in the first innings of the third Test at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in 2009.
Virender Sehwag’s 293 and MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 100 powered the hosts to the gigantic total. The hosts won by an innings and 24 runs.
Team India have registered two more 700-plus scores in the longest format of the game. They had posted 707 against hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2010 and also recorded 705/7d against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2004.
2011 World Cup-winning Indian team: Where are they now?
It has been a decade since Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the iconic six to seal the 2011 ICC World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium, thereby making India the first team to lift the World Cup trophy on home soil.
The Indian cricket team has gone from strength to strength in world cricket since then but where are the players now?.
Here’s a look at the current status of the players from the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian team.
2011 World Cup-winning Indian team: Playing XI for final vs Sri Lanka
Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth
Sachin Tendulkar: The Master Blaster ended the 2011 World Cup as the second-highest run-getter with 482 runs, with two centuries. He played an important role in India clinching the title.
Sachin continued playing until the 2012 Asia Cup, where he reached his 100th international century and retired from ODIs thereafter. Meanwhile, Tendulkar’s Test career continued till November 2013, when he played his 200th Test match and retired from all forms of cricket.
Sachin Tendulkar is now the 'Icon' of Mumbai in the Indian T20 Leagueand also makes occasional appearances on several talk shows.
Virender Sehwag: It was Tendulkar-Sehwag’s opening pair that had propelled India to strong starts at the 2011 World Cup. The explosive Nawab of Najafgarh had ended the ICC tournament with 380 runs including a century to his name.
Virender Sehwag’s form post the ICC World Cup was inconsistent until early 2013. He was eventually dropped. He continued playing domestic tournaments and was a mainstay in the Indian T20 League until 2015. Sehwag announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in January 2016.
Active on social media, Sehwag has also garnered a fan-following due to his quirky Hindi commentary. He also donned the hat for coaching and mentoring, most notably for Punjab in the Indian T20 League.
Gautam Gambhir: The aggressive southpaw was India’s top scorer in the 2011 World Cup final with 97 runs and is widely considered to be one of India’s unsung heroes. Gautam Gambhir ended the tournament as the sixth-highest scorer with 393 runs.
Surprisingly, Gautam Gambhir’s brilliant batting wasn’t acknowledged with national call-ups as he was dropped from both the Test and limited-overs side soon after. Gambhir continued playing in the Indian T20 League and led Kolkata to two titles in 2012 and 2014. His consistency got him brief stints in the Test side in 2014 and 2016 but Gambhir wasn’t effective enough.
The most difficult decisions are often taken with the heaviest of hearts.
And with one heavy heart, I’ve decided to make an announcement that I’ve dreaded all my life.
Gambhir announced his retirement in December 2018 to foray into politics and won from the East Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha elections. He is currently a member of the Parliament.
Virat Kohli: If there has been any Indian player from the 2011 World Cup squad who has grown leaps and bounds, it’s Virat Kohli. Since lifting the World Cup as a 22-year-old, Kohli has gone on to become India’s captain across all formats and create unparalleled records.
The Delhi-lad has amassed over 25 centuries in Tests and over 40 tons in ODIs. He was also honoured with the Sir Garfield Sobers award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade and ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Decade at the ICC Awards of the Decade.
After becoming India’s Test captain in 2015 and the ODI and T20I captain in 2017, Virat Kohli led India to the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2017 and the 2019 World Cup semi-final. In the Indian T20 League, Virat Kohli has been piling runs for Bengaluru.
Yuvraj Singh: Amassing 362 runs and scalping 15 wickets in the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh was India's standout player and was even adjudged the Player of the Tournament.
A 29-year-old Yuvraj was in the form of his life and the all-rounder had a bright future. But months after the World Cup win, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer and by the time he could make a comeback to international cricket, it was 2012.
However, Yuvraj Singh was never the same since and after sporadic stints in Indian colours he eventually announced his retirement in June 2019. He still occasionally plays cricket having done so in the Abu Dhabi T10 and the Road Safety World Series.
MS Dhoni: It was the captain’s unbeaten 91-run knock in the final that helped India lift their first 50-over ICC World Cup in 28 years, and his match-winning six is now the stuff of legends.
With two World Cup trophies in his cabinet, MS Dhoni earned the label of ‘Captain Cool’. He won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
In 2015, MS Dhoni shockingly decided to retire from Test cricket. He played his last ODI match for India in the 2019 ICC World Cup and eventually announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020.
However, MS Dhoni continues to ply his trade in the Indian T20 League. The Chennai captain has led his team to three titles and will look to lead his franchise to another title in the upcoming edition of the league.
Suresh Raina:The Uttar Pradesh-lad played quite a few valuable knocks in the middle-order during the 2011 World Cup and later went on to become one of India’s most reliable batsmen in the subsequent five years.
Runs eventually dried up for the southpaw and Raina was dropped from the ODI side in 2015 and the T20 side in 2016. Despite his comeback in 2018, he wasn’t selected for the 2019 World Cup. Incidentally, Raina announced his retirement from all forms on August 15, 2020, just moments after Dhoni’s retirement.
Though Raina missed the 2020 Indian T20 League owing to the pandemic, ‘Mr IPL’ has been retained for the 2021 edition by Chennai.
Harbhajan Singh: With nine wickets in the 2011 World Cup, Harbhajan Singh was an important member of the side. But his career plummeted rapidly following the historic win. He was dropped from the ODI side after just five months and from the Test side, six months later.
Though his experience fetched him call-ups in the T20I side in 2012 and 2016, the ‘Turbanator’ wasn’t a regular in the team. However, Harbhajan remains a mainstay in the Indian T20 League, having played for Mumbai, Chennai and now Kolkata.
Zaheer Khan:With a whopping 21 wickets in nine matches, Zaheer Khan was the wrecker-in-chief for India in the 2011 World Cup and the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. However, it could only extend his limited overs career to one more year as the speedster was dropped from the ODI side in 2012
The left-arm pacer remained a mainstay in the Test side though and ended his international career on his terms in 2014
He played in the Indian T20 League until 2017 and after retirement, has become a cricket analyst appearing on several shows. Currently, Zaheer Khan is associated with the Mumbai franchise as the director of cricket, where his primary role is to nurture talents.
Munaf Patel: Taking 11 wickets in eight matches at the 2011 World Cup, Munaf Patel was one of the less revered heroes. Patel’s career saw a downward spiral following the campaign, with injuries and poor form seeing him last play for India in 2011.
He remained a mainstay in the Indian T20 League though and kept trying for a national comeback through Baroda in the domestic circuit, but it didn’t work out. Munaf Patel retired in November 2018 and has featured in the Abu Dhabi T10 League for a few seasons. His most recent exploits were at the 2021 Road Safety World Series.
S Sreesanth:S Sreesanth will be remembered as an expensive bowler for India in the final match, as the Kerala pacer had conceded 52 runs without a wicket in eight overs.
Sreesanth was arrested in 2013 on charges of spot-fixing in the Indian T20 League and BCCI gave him a life ban. The decision was, however, set aside by the Supreme Court in 2019 and his sentence was reduced to seven years.
Sreesanth was always in the public eye as he participated in reality TV shows and a few regional films during that time. He last grabbed headlines during the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he made his comeback.
Ashish Nehra:Ashish Nehra featured in just two matches in the 2011 World Cup. His career between 2011 and 2016 was afflicted by injuries but a magnificent showing at the Indian T20 League in 2014 and 2015 saw him getting national call-up in 2016. Nehra announced his retirement in 2017.
Ravichandran Ashwin: Having an experienced Harbhajan Singh and in-form Yuvraj Singh as spin bowlers, a young Ravichandran Ashwin could get just two matches in the 2011 World Cup. But, the Chennai tweaker still managed to take four wickets, contributing to the team’s success.
R Ashwin has since gone on to become one of the best spinners in the world and India’s red-ball specialist. He was one of India’s best players during the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophyand has become the second quickest bowler to 400 wickets.
Apart from Kohli, R Ashwin was the only Indian cricketer to be named in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the decade. Ravichandran Ashwin has been a mainstay in the Indian T20 League as well.
Piyush Chawla: The leg-spinner had very little role in the 2011 World Cup with many even considering him lucky to be a part of the squad. Chawla was dropped months after the World Cup win and hasn’t played for India since 2012. He is still a regular Ranji Trophy player and has got success in the Indian T20 League with Kolkata.
Yusuf Pathan: Like Chawla, Yusuf Pathan’s contribution in the 2011 World Cup was insignificant. His international career lasted just over a year although he kept churning runs on the domestic front, particularly in the Indian T20 League.
Sachin, Laxman and Ganguly would never have passed yo-yo test, says Virender Sehwag
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has claimed that neither Sachin Tendulkar nor Sourav Ganguly would have cleared the yo-yo test if it existed during their time.
The yo-yo test has become a mandatory criterion for selection in the Indian cricket team and several players have missed their chances after failing to meet the requirements, which includes recent players like Varun Chakravarthy and Rahul Tewatia. Sehwag is of the opinion that skills matter more than fitness.
“I want to tell you one thing, here we are talking about yo-yo test, Hardik Pandya doesn’t have issues with running, he has issues with workload because of his bowling. However, Ashwin and (Varun) Chakravarthy, on the other hand, haven’t cleared the yo-yo test, that’s why they aren’t here.
“But I won’t agree with all of this, if these criteria existed before, then the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly wouldn’t have passed it. I have never seen them pass the beep test. They always fell short of the 12.5 mark,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
Sehwag's comments came after a fan questioned why Hardik Pandya was selected in India's squad for England series if he was unfit to bowl in the first place.
“Skill is important, today if you are playing a fit team but don’t have the skills, then you would ultimately end up losing. Play them based on their skills, slowly you can improve their fitness over time but if is yo-yo criteria is applied straight away, then the talks are different. If a player can field and bowl 10 overs, that should be enough, we shouldn’t be concerned about the other things,” Sehwag said.
