So, Who is the most popular cricketer in the world?
Though cricket is a global sport that is not played by a lot of continues, but you can’t ignore that there are billions of people who are huge fans of cricket. Cricket is the most popular sport after football all over the world. But, when you will look into the countries, you will find that there are only a couple of countries that play cricket.
But, for the participants, cricket is something that they worshipped as gods. So, if you are not that much of a fan of cricket, let’s start with watching some historical moments of this sport. But who is the best cricket player in the world?
To find out, here is a list of some famous cricket players of all time.
Who Is The Most Popular Cricketer In The World?
When it comes to the most popular cricket in the world, there is only one name. Here is a list of some most popular cricketers of all time, there are players who have achieved a lot of trophies and achievements in T20, ODI, and Test formats. Whether it is about batting, bowling, or fielding, here are some famous cricketers.
10. Brett Lee
Brett Lee used to be a professional cricketer who is from Australia. He was famous for the nickname “Binga.” During his time playing, he was among the best fast bowlers of all time. Other than this, Lee was the 2nd fastest bowler after Shoaib Akhtar. Also, Brett Lee is quite famous for being one of the most handsome cricketers. He also starred in a couple of movies after retirement.
9. Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan was a Sri Lankan cricketer who used to be famous for his unique action. Also, he is the one and only player to take 800 test wickets. Many batters told that Muralitharan was the bowler they didn’t want to face, even being in their prime. Other than 800 test wickets, he has taken 534 ODI wickets which is also a huge number as well.
8. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the only player on this list who is currently playing. Kohli is an Indian batter who is famous for the name Best Chaser. He is quite popular all over the world, other than this he has the second highest hundreds. And there are only 1400 runs that Kohli needs to be in the second position in all-time ODI runs. Recently, he got his form back, I hope Kohli can keep this with him.
7. Chris Gayle
If you watch this man’s batting, then not only will you start loving this person but the sports as well. Chris Gayle, a.k.a. The Universe Boss, used to play for West Indies. Gayle was popular for hitting the maximum number of sixes. He was one of the most successful yet destructive batters of all time. Gayle also scored two triple centuries against Sri Lanka and South Africa.
6. Brian Lara
Here is another player from the West Indies, one of the gentlemen of cricket, Brian Lara. He was also the captain of the team, and there were nicknames like “The Prince” or “The Prince of Port of Spain.” One of the records that Brian Lara holds that is nearly impossible to break is that he has scored 400 runs in a single inning against England.
5. Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga used to be another unique actioned player who played in the Sri Lankan cricket team. In his prime time, he was quite famous for his action and unplayable slower yorkers. There was a nickname Slinga Malinga which he was quite famous. He holds many records, but one of those is he has taken the most hat tricks in ODIs.
4. Shoaib Akhtar
The Rawalpindi Express or Tiger or The Terrorist of Cricket, and there are other nicknames for this aggressive and one of the most feared fast bowlers, his name is Shoaib Akhtar. He used to be the bad boy on his team who was famous for unplayable bowling balls. He holds the record for reaching the speed of 100mph, and other than this, he took the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid back to back.
3. M.S. Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was an Indian cricketer, and at the time of his captaincy, India was in their prime. He gave the Indian cricket team the ICC World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Also, he is known for his cool-minded captaincy, and there were one or two times when people actually saw him angry. Other than these, he was one of the best finishers of all time.
2. Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi currently plays county cricket and has taken retirement from international cricket. He was known for his aggressive style of playing, both in bowling and batting. Afridi used to be a furious batter who could hit sixes from the first ball. He bowls the spin ball, but he can bowl at a speed of 135kmph.
Honorable Mentions
Before I reveal the #1 name on our list of some of the most iconic and greatest cricketers of all time, it is only natural that you and I take time and look at some of the most iconic and best players of all time. Players who did not make it to the list but are some of the GOATs of their time.
Here are some of the honorable mentions of some of the most iconic and most popular Cricketers in the World.
1. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Nikhanj has been one of the stalwarts of Indian cricket. His impeccable captaincy helped India lift its first World Cup back in 1983. As a result, he and his team set a positive precedent for the upcoming generation of players to come.
Apart from being one of the greatest players to ever live, he is also known as one of the finest all-rounders of all time. He was primarily a fast-medium bowler and a middle-order batsman. Dev has taken around 400 plus wickets in his career, spanning 1978 to 1994. His first match was against Pakistan, and his final match was with West Indies. He was a true trailblazer of his time.
2. Don Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, or Don Bradman, was a truly great player of his time. His nickname, Don, was given by his fans, who considered him one of the greatest players who had ever lived. Bradman is popularly lauded as one of the greatest batsmen and most popular cricketer in the world of all time.
In his heyday, Bradman was considered to be the best and most explosive player with a bat. He singlehandedly shaped the game of cricket and popularised it among the Australian population. Bradman had a test batting average of 99.94. This was the highest in the game. As a result, he is rightly considered to be one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
3. Garfield Sobers
Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, or Sir Gary, is a former cricket player who played for the West Indian national team from 1954 to 1974. Sir Gary was phenomenal with the ball and is often lauded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. He was also a gifted batsman who broke countless records.
Gary debuted back in 1953 with the Barbados team at the age of 16. Later on, he went on to become an absolute beast of cricket. As per sources, Gary’s total score in the test format is close to around 8,032.
4. Sir Viv Richards
Sir Viv Richards was one of those rare players who could do wonders but still remained humble. Sir Viv Richards is a former West Indian player. Richards is synonymous with batting excellence. He is popularly lauded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
Richards made his test debut back in 1974 alongside Gordon Greenridge. Some of the best and most iconic moments of his career fall between the years 1976 to 1983. He singlehandedly broke records and helped his team to become one of the most formidable fronts in International cricket.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
And now is the time to reveal the most popular cricketer in the world, and that is the little master Sachin Tendulkar. He used to play for the Indian Cricket team, and there are so many records that Tendulkar holds, and some of them are very very tough to break. When it comes to scoring the most runs, Tendulkar is at the top of the list with 18,000 runs in ODI and 14,000 runs in Test.
Other than these, he holds the record of scoring hundred 100s. And the second player who has the most hundred is Kohli, with 76 hundred.
Final Words
The list is made from different journals and reviews from cricket fans. Also, these players are the players that cricket enthusiasts talk about the most. But, as a cricket fan, I can tell you that I can name thousands of cricketers, but as an amateur, you will find these players amazing. If you are interested, please watch their success on any social media platform.
Also, if you want to name the most popular cricketer in the world that you like the most, you can do that in the comment section below. Thank You.
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