India national cricket team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
India

Nickname	Men in Blue
Association	Board of Control for Cricket in India
Personnel
Test captain	Shubman Gill
One Day captain	Shubman Gill
T20I captain	Suryakumar Yadav
Coach	Gautam Gambhir
History
Test status acquired	1932 (94 years ago) (1932)
International Cricket Council
ICC status	Full Member (1926)
ICC region	Asia
ICC Rankings Current Best-ever Test 4th 1st (1973) ODI 1st 1st (1994) T20I 1st 1st (2014)
Tests
First Test	v  England at Lord's, London; 25–28 June 1932
Last Test	v  South Africa at Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati; 22–26 November 2025
Tests Played Won/Lost Total 598 185/188 (224 draws, 1 tie) This year 0 0/0 (0 draws)
World Test Championship appearances	3 (first in 2021)
Best result	Runners-up (2021, 2023)
One Day Internationals
First ODI	v  England at Headingley, Leeds; 13 July 1974
Last ODI	v  New Zealand at Holkar Stadium, Indore; 18 January 2026
ODIs Played Won/Lost Total 1,075 571/450 (10 ties, 44 no results) This year 3 1/2 (0 ties, 0 no results)
World Cup appearances	13 (first in 1975)
Best result	Champions (1983, 2011)
T20 Internationals
First T20I	v  South Africa at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg; 1 December 2006
Last T20I	v  New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad; 8 March 2026
T20Is Played Won/Lost Total 277 187/75 (7 ties, 8 no results) This year 14 12/2 (0 ties, 0 no results)
T20 World Cup appearances	10 (first in 2007)
Best result	Champions (2007, 2024, 2026)
Test kit ODI kit T20I kit
As of 8 March 2026

India national cricket teams
Women's (1976–present)	Men's (1926–present)	Women's U19 (2022–present)	Men's U19 (1979–present)	Blind Men's (2012–present)

The India men's national cricket team is a super important team that plays for India in international cricket. They are known as the "Men in Blue." The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) manages the team. India is a full member of the International Cricket Council. This means they play all three main types of cricket: Test cricket, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 International (T20I).

India is currently a champion in the Men's T20 World Cup, the ICC Champions Trophy, and the Asia Cup. They have played 598 Test matches, winning 185 of them. As of March 2026, India is ranked fourth in Test cricket. They reached the finals of the World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023.

In ODI matches, India has played 1,075 games, winning 571. They are ranked first in ODI cricket as of March 2026. India has reached the Cricket World Cup final four times and won it twice! They also won the ICC Champions Trophy three times, which is a record.

For T20 International matches, the team has played 277 games, winning 187. They are ranked first in T20I cricket as of March 2026. India has been in the Men's T20 World Cup final four times. They have won this exciting tournament a record three times.

The Exciting History of Indian Cricket

How Cricket Came to India

Cricket arrived in India with the British in the early 1700s. The very first match was played in 1721. Over time, different communities in India started playing the game. In 1848, the Parsi community in Mumbai created the first Indian cricket club. This was a big step for cricket in India!

By the early 1900s, Indian players were even competing in big tournaments. Some talented Indian players, like Ranjitsinhji and Duleepsinhji, became famous. Important Indian cricket tournaments, like the Ranji Trophy, are named after them. In 1911, an Indian team made its first official tour to England.

Becoming a Test Cricket Nation

India joined the International Cricket Council in 1926. This meant they could play Test matches! Their first Test match was in England in 1932. C. K. Nayudu, a great Indian batsman, led the team. India hosted its first Test series in 1933 against England.

The team kept getting better in the 1930s and 1940s. After India became an independent country, they played their first series against Australia in 1947. India won its first Test match ever in 1952 against England. Later that year, they won their first Test series against Pakistan.

The 1960s showed India becoming a strong team at home. They won their first series outside India in 1967–68 against New Zealand. The 1970s brought famous spin bowlers, known as the "Indian spin quartet." These bowlers, like Bishan Singh Bedi, were very skilled. Great batsmen like Sunil Gavaskar also became stars during this time.

India's Rise in One-Day Cricket

One Day International (ODI) cricket started in 1971. At first, India wasn't very strong in this new format. But things changed in the 1980s! India developed a team with exciting batsmen and all-rounders. Players like Mohammad Azharuddin, Kapil Dev, and Ravi Shastri became well-known.

A huge moment came on June 25, 1983. India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup! They beat the strong West Indies team in the final. This was a massive victory for Indian cricket. India also won the first Asia Cup in 1984 and the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985.

Challenges and New Stars in the Late 20th Century

Even with ODI success, India faced challenges in Test matches. They didn't win a Test series outside the subcontinent for 19 years after 1986. However, stars like Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble joined the team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Tendulkar became famous for scoring many centuries. Kumble became a top wicket-taker.

India co-hosted the 1987 Cricket World Cup. They also won the Asia Cup three times in a row in 1988, 1991, and 1995. In the 1996 Cricket World Cup, India reached the semi-finals. Tendulkar was the top run-scorer in that tournament. New talents like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid also started their careers.

Global Dominance and Captaincy Changes (2000–2013)

The early 2000s brought some difficult times for Indian cricket. However, a new group of leaders, including Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble, and Ganguly, helped the team recover. Under Captain Ganguly and coach John Wright, India saw major improvements. They reached the final of the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy.

In 2002, India won the 2002 NatWest Series and shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy title. They reached the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup. MS Dhoni became captain in 2007 for limited-overs matches. He led India to win the first-ever 2007 T20 World Cup! This win was a big reason for the creation of the Indian Premier League.

India won the 2010 Asia Cup. On April 2, 2011, India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup on home soil! This was their second World Cup title. Tendulkar played in his last World Cup, and Zaheer Khan was a top wicket-taker. In 2013, India won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Dhoni became the first captain to win all three major ICC white-ball trophies.

Recent Challenges and Triumphs (2014–Present)

In the 2014 T20 World Cup, India reached the final but lost. Virat Kohli became a key player, setting records for runs scored. In late 2014, Dhoni stepped down as Test captain, and Kohli took over. India reached the semi-finals of the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

India won the 2016 Asia Cup. They also won a Test series in Australia for the first time in 2018 under Kohli's leadership. In the 2019 Cricket World Cup, India reached the semi-finals. After Dhoni retired, KL Rahul became a regular wicket-keeper.

India reached the finals of the World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023. In 2021, Rohit Sharma became the new T20I captain, and later the ODI and Test captain. India won the 2023 Asia Cup and a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games. They were runners-up in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

In 2024, India won the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup undefeated! They became the third team to win it twice. In 2025, India won the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy undefeated, becoming the first team to win it three times. In 2026, India won the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup again, becoming the only team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups and a record three titles. Shubman Gill became the new Test and ODI captain, and Suryakumar Yadav became the T20I captain.

Governing the Game: BCCI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the main organization that runs Indian cricket. It manages the national team and all first-class cricket in India. The BCCI started in 1929 and represents India in the International Cricket Council (ICC). Its main office is in Mumbai.

How Players are Chosen

The BCCI has a special way to pick players for the Indian team. They use a "zonal selection policy." This means that selectors from different regions of India help choose the best players. Ajit Agarkar is the current chief selector.

Team Colors and Sponsors

When playing Test cricket, India wears traditional white uniforms with navy blue caps. For One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) matches, the team wears different shades of blue. Sometimes, their uniforms also have colors from the Indian flag.

Many companies have sponsored the Indian team's kits over the years. Adidas is the current kit sponsor, and Apollo Tyres is the main team sponsor. These sponsorships help support the team.

Current Sponsors & Partners

Apollo Tyres became the official sponsor of the Indian cricket team in September 2025. Their sponsorship will last until 2027. Dream11 was a sponsor before, but their agreement ended in August 2025.

Other official partners include Campa Cola, Atomberg Technologies, SBI Life, and Asian Paints. IDFC First Bank is the current title sponsor for matches played in India. JioHotstar is the official broadcaster for Indian cricket matches.

Upcoming Matches

Date	Team 1	Team 2	Venue	Tournament / Series
6-10 June 2026	India	Afghanistan	Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh	1st Test, Afghanistan tour of India
14 June 2026	India	Afghanistan	Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala	1st ODI, Afghanistan tour of India
17 June 2026	India	Afghanistan	Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium, Lucknow	2nd ODI, Afghanistan tour of India
20 June 2026	India	Afghanistan	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	3rd ODI, Afghanistan tour of India
1 July 2026	England	India	Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street	1st T20I, India tour of England
4 July 2026	England	India	Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester	2nd T20I, India tour of England
7 July 2026	England	India	Trent Bridge, Nottingham	3rd T20I, India tour of England
9 July 2026	England	India	County Ground, Bristol	4th T20I, India tour of England
11 July 2026	England	India	The Rose Bowl, Southampton	5th T20I, India tour of England
14 July 2026	England	India	Edgbaston, Birmingham	1st ODI, India tour of England
16 July 2026	England	India	Sophia Gardens, Cardiff	2nd ODI, India tour of England
19 July 2026	England	India	Lord's, London	3rd ODI, India tour of England

Famous Cricket Stadiums in India

India has many amazing cricket stadiums! Most of these grounds are managed by state cricket boards. The Bombay Gymkhana Ground hosted the first big cricket match in India in 1877. The first Test match in India was also played there in 1933.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the world's largest cricket stadium! It's a top place for big matches. Eden Gardens in Kolkata is another historic stadium, founded in 1864. It has hosted many memorable games. The Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi is also very old and famous.

The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai can hold 33,100 fans. It hosted the 2011 World Cup final, where India won on home soil! Mumbai is often called the "cricketing capital" of India. The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is another important historical ground.

Team Captains

Many talented players have led the Indian men's cricket team. C. K. Nayudu was India's first Test captain in 1932. Lala Amarnath led the team to its first Test victory in 1952.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was captain for many Test matches in the 1960s. Under his leadership, India won its first series outside the subcontinent in New Zealand. Ajit Wadekar then led India to its first Test series wins in the West Indies and England.

Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were important captains in the 1980s. Kapil Dev led India to win the 1983 Cricket World Cup!

Later, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar took turns as captain. Sourav Ganguly became a very successful captain in the 2000s. He led India to many wins and three ICC finals.

MS Dhoni became captain for ODIs and T20Is in 2007. He led India to win the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2011 Cricket World Cup! Dhoni is the only captain to win all three major ICC white-ball trophies.

Virat Kohli took over as Test captain in 2014 and later led in all formats. Under him, India had long unbeaten streaks in Test matches. In 2021, Rohit Sharma became the new T20I captain, and then the ODI and Test captain. Rohit led India to victories in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Currently, Shubman Gill is the Test and ODI captain. Suryakumar Yadav is the T20I captain, and he led India to win the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.

Most Matches as Captain

Current Squad

The BCCI announced its player contracts for 2025–26. Players can earn a Grade C contract if they play enough matches. This list includes active players with BCCI contracts or those who played for India recently.

Last updated: 8 March 2026

Key

Name	Age	Batting style	Bowling style	Domestic team	IPL team	CG	Forms	No.	Captaincy	Last Test	Last ODI	Last T20I
Batters
Ruturaj Gaikwad	29	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	Maharashtra	Chennai Super Kings	C	ODI	31		N/A	2025	2024
Shubman Gill	26	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	Punjab	Gujarat Titans	A	Test, ODI, T20I	77	Test, ODI (c)	2025	2026	2025
Shreyas Iyer	31	Right-handed	Right-arm leg spin	Mumbai	Punjab Kings	B	ODI	96	ODI (vc)	2024	2026	2023
Yashasvi Jaiswal	24	Left-handed	Right-arm leg spin	Mumbai	Rajasthan Royals	B	Test, ODI	64		2025	2025	2024
Virat Kohli	37	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	Delhi	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	B	ODI	18		2025	2026	2024
Rohit Sharma	38	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	Mumbai	Mumbai Indians	B	ODI	45		2024	2026	2024
Rinku Singh	28	Left-handed	Right-arm off break	Uttar Pradesh	Kolkata Knight Riders	C	T20I	35		N/A	2023	2026
Suryakumar Yadav	35	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	Mumbai	Mumbai Indians	B	T20I	63	T20I (c)	2023	2023	2026
All-rounders
Shivam Dube	32	Left-handed	Right-arm medium	Mumbai	Chennai Super Kings	C	T20I	25		N/A	2024	2026
Ravindra Jadeja	37	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	Saurashtra	Rajasthan Royals	A	Test, ODI	8		2025	2026	2024
Nitish Kumar Reddy	22	Right-handed	Right arm medium-fast	Andhra Pradesh	Sunrisers Hyderabad	C	Test, ODI	88		2025	2026	2025
Hardik Pandya	32	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast	Baroda	Mumbai Indians	B	ODI, T20I	33		2018	2025	2026
Axar Patel	32	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	Gujarat	Delhi Capitals	C	Test, ODI, T20I	20	T20I (vc)	2025	2025	2026
Abhishek Sharma	25	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	Punjab	Sunrisers Hyderabad	C	T20I	4		N/A	N/A	2026
Washington Sundar	26	Left-handed	Right-arm off break	Tamil Nadu	Gujarat Titans	B	Test, ODI, T20I	5		2025	2026	2026
Tilak Varma	23	Left-handed	Right-arm off break	Hyderabad	Mumbai Indians	C	ODI, T20I	72		N/A	2025	2026
Wicket-keeper-batters
Dhruv Jurel	25	Right-handed	N/A	Uttar Pradesh	Rajasthan Royals	C	Test	21		2025	N/A	2025
Ishan Kishan	27	Left-handed	N/A	Jharkhand	Sunrisers Hyderabad	N/A	T20I	32		2023	2023	2026
Rishabh Pant	28	Left-handed	N/A	Delhi	Lucknow Super Giants	B	Test	17	Test (vc)	2025	2024	2024
KL Rahul	33	Right-handed	N/A	Karnataka	Delhi Capitals	B	Test, ODI	1		2025	2026	2022
Sanju Samson	31	Right-handed	N/A	Kerala	Chennai Super Kings	C	T20I	9		N/A	2023	2026
Jitesh Sharma	32	Right-handed	N/A	Baroda	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	N/A	T20I	55		N/A	N/A	2025
Pace bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah	32	Right-handed	Right-arm fast	Gujarat	Mumbai Indians	A	Test, T20I	93		2025	2023	2026
Akash Deep	29	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	Bengal	Lucknow Super Giants	C	Test	41		2025	N/A	N/A
Prasidh Krishna	30	Right-handed	Right arm fast	Karnataka	Gujarat Titans	C	Test, ODI	24		2025	2026	2023
Arshdeep Singh	27	Left-handed	Left-arm medium-fast	Punjab	Punjab Kings	C	ODI, T20I	2		N/A	2026	2026
Mohammed Siraj	32	Right-handed	Right-arm fast	Hyderabad	Gujarat Titans	B	Test, ODI, T20I	73		2025	2026	2026
Harshit Rana	24	Right-handed	Right arm fast	Delhi	Kolkata Knight Riders	C	ODI, T20I	22		2024	2026	2026
Spin bowlers
Ravi Bishnoi	25	Right-handed	Right-arm leg spin	Gujarat	Lucknow Super Giants	C	T20I	56		N/A	2022	2026
Varun Chakravarthy	34	Right-handed	Right-arm leg break	Tamil Nadu	Kolkata Knight Riders	C	ODI, T20I	29		N/A	2025	2026
Kuldeep Yadav	31	Left-handed	Left-arm wrist spin	Uttar Pradesh	Delhi Capitals	B	Test, ODI, T20I	23		2025	2026	2026

Player Pay Grades

The BCCI gives central contracts to its players. Their pay depends on their importance to the team.

• Grade A players earn ₹5 crore (US$850,000)
• Grade B players earn ₹3 crore (US$510,000)
• Grade C players earn ₹1 crore (US$170,000)

Players also get extra money for each match they play:

• ₹15 lakh (US$26,000) for a Test match
• ₹6 lakh (US$10,000) for an ODI
• ₹3 lakh (US$5,100) for a T20I

Coaching Staff

Tournament Wins

A red box around the year means the tournament was played in India.

Cricket World Cup

Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Squad	Ref
1975	Group Stage	6/8	3	1	2	0	0	Squad
1979	Group Stage	7/8	3	0	3	0	0	Squad
1983	Champions	1/8	8	6	2	0	0	Squad
1987	Semi Finals	3/8	7	5	2	0	0	Squad
1992	Group Stage	7/9	8	2	5	0	1	Squad
1996	Semi Finals	3/12	7	4	3	0	0	Squad
1999	Super Six	6/12	8	4	4	0	0	Squad
2003	Runners Up	2/14	11	9	2	0	0	Squad
2007	Group Stage	9/16	3	1	2	0	0	Squad
2011	Champions	1/14	9	7	1	1	0	Squad
2015	Semi Finals	3/14	8	7	1	0	0	Squad
2019	Semi Finals	3/10	10	7	2	0	1	Squad
2023	Runners Up	2/10	11	10	1	0	0	Squad
2027	To be determined
2031	Qualified as co-hosts
Total	2 Titles	13/13	96	63	30	1	2

T20 World Cup

Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Squad	Ref
2007	Champions	1/12	7	4	1	1	1	Squad
2009	Super 8s	7/12	5	2	3	0	0	Squad
2010	Super 8s	8/12	5	2	3	0	0	Squad
2012	Super 8s	5/12	5	4	1	0	0	Squad
2014	Runners-up	2/16	6	5	1	0	0	Squad
2016	Semi-finals	4/16	5	3	2	0	0	Squad
2021	Super 12s	6/16	5	3	2	0	0	Squad
2022	Semi-finals	3/16	6	4	2	0	0	Squad
2024	Champions	1/20	9	8	0	0	1	Squad
2026	Champions	1/20	9	8	1	0	0	Squad
2028	Qualified
2030	To be determined
Total	3 Titles	10/10	61	43	16	1	2

World Test Championship

Season	League stage										Final
	Standing	Matches					DED	PC	Points	PCT	Venue	Final	Position	Ref
		P	W	L	D	T
2019–2021	1/9	17	12	4	1	0	0	720	520	72.2	Rose Bowl, England	Lost to  New Zealand by 8 wickets	Runners Up
2021–2023	2/9	18	10	5	3	0	5	216	127	58.80	The Oval, England	Lost to  Australia by 209 runs	Runners Up
2023–2025	3/9	19	9	8	2	0	2	228	114	50.00	Lord's, England	Did Not Qualify	Third Place

Champions Trophy

Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Squad	Ref
1998	Semi Finals	3/9	2	1	1	0	0	Squad
2000	Runners Up	2/11	4	3	1	0	0	Squad
2002	Champions	1/12	5	3	0	0	2	Squad
2004	Group Stage	7/12	2	1	1	0	0	Squad
2006	Group Stage	5/10	3	1	2	0	0	Squad
2009	Group Stage	5/8	3	1	1	0	1	Squad
2013	Champions	1/8	5	5	0	0	0	Squad
2017	Runners Up	2/8	5	3	2	0	0	Squad
2025	Champions	1/8	5	5	0	0	0	Squad
2029	Qualified as hosts
Total	3 Titles	9/9	34	23	8	0	3

Asia Cup

Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Ref
1984	Champions	1/3	2	2	0	0	0
1986	Boycotted the tournament
1988	Champions	1/4	4	3	1	0	0
1990–91	Champions	1/3	3	2	1	0	0
1995	Champions	1/4	4	3	1	0	0
1997	Runners Up	2/4	4	1	2	0	1
2000	First Round	3/4	3	1	2	0	0
2004	Runners Up	2/6	6	3	3	0	0
2008	Runners Up	2/6	6	4	2	0	0
2010	Champions	1/4	4	3	1	0	0
2012	First Round	3/4	3	2	1	0	0
2014	First Round	3/5	4	2	2	0	0
2016	Champions	1/5	5	5	0	0	0
2018	Champions	1/6	6	5	0	1	0
2022	Super Fours	3/6	5	3	2	0	0
2023	Champions	1/6	6	4	1	0	1
2025	Champions	1/8	7	7	0	0	0
Total	9 Titles	16/17	72	50	19	1	2

Asian Games

Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Ref
2010	Did not participate
2014
2022	Gold	1/14	3	2	0	0	1
2026	To be determined
Total	1 Title	1/3	3	2	0	0	1

Commonwealth Games

Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Ref
1998	Group Stage	9/16	3	1	1	0	1
Total	0 Title	1/1	3	1	1	0	1

Honours and Awards

     record ^s shared.

Player Statistics

Test Cricket Records

Most Test runs for India

Most Test wickets for India

Rank	Wickets	Player	Matches	Innings	Average	Period
1	619	Kumble, AnilAnil Kumble	132	236	29.65	1990–2008
2	537	Ashwin, RavichandranRavichandran Ashwin	106	200	24.00	2011–2024
3	434	Dev, KapilKapil Dev	131	227	29.64	1978–1994
4	417	Singh, HarbhajanHarbhajan Singh	103	190	32.46	1998–2015
5	348	Jadeja, RavindraRavindra Jadeja	89	163	25.11	2012–2025
Last updated:12 September 2025

One-Day International Records

Most ODI runs for India

Rank	Runs	Player	Matches	Innings	Average	100	50	Period
1	18,426 ♠	Tendulkar, SachinSachin Tendulkar	463	452	44.83	49	96	1989–2012
2	14,797	Kohli, ViratVirat Kohli	311	299	58.71	54	77	2008–2026
3	11,577	Rohit Sharma	281	273	48.84	33	61	2007–2025
4	11,221	Ganguly, SouravSourav Ganguly	308	297	40.95	22	71	1992–2007
5	10,768	Dravid, RahulRahul Dravid	340	314	39.15	12	82	1996–2011
Last updated: 4 August 2024

Most ODI wickets for India

Twenty20 International Records

Most T20I runs for India

Rank	Runs	Player	Matches	Innings	Period
1	4,231	Rohit Sharma	159	151	2007–2024
2	4,188	Virat Kohli	125	117	2010–2024
3	3,272	Suryakumar Yadav	113	106	2021–2026
4	2,288	Hardik Pandya	138	109	2016–2022
5	2265	KL Rahul	72	68	2016–2026
Last Updated: 26 February 2026

Most T20I wickets for India

Rank	Wickets	Player	Matches	Innings	Period
1	127	Arshdeep Singh	84	83	2022-2026
2	121	Bumrah, JaspritJasprit Bumrah	95	92	2016-2026
3	114	Hardik Pandya	138	124	2016-2026
4	97	Axar Patel	94	88	2016-2023
5	96	Yuzvendra Chahal	80	79	2017-2026
	Last Updated: 26 February 2026

Amazing Player Achievements

Sachin Tendulkar celebrating his 38th Test century during a match against Australia in 2008. He holds multiple world records including the world's leading run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs and most centuries in Tests.

Sachin Tendulkar is one of India's most famous cricketers. He started playing at age 16 and holds many world records! He has scored the most runs and centuries in both Test and ODI cricket. Virender Sehwag holds the record for the highest score by an Indian in Test cricket, with 319 runs.

In ODI matches, India's highest team score is 418/5. They also set a world record for the largest winning margin in an ODI match (257 runs) in 2007.

India has also had incredible bowlers. Anil Kumble is one of only four bowlers to take 600 Test wickets. In 1999, he took all ten wickets in a single Test match innings! This is a very rare achievement.

Many Indian cricket records are also world records. For example, Tendulkar's total runs and centuries in Tests and ODIs are world records. MS Dhoni holds the world record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs (183 not out). India also holds the record for 17 successful run-chases in a row in ODIs.

Sachin Tendulkar was the first batsman to score 200 runs in a single ODI game in 2010. Later, Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma broke this record with even higher scores. In 2013, Dhoni became the first captain to win all three major ICC trophies.

Virat Kohli was the first cricketer to win back-to-back Man of the Series awards in T20 World Cups. Rohit Sharma is the leading run-scorer in T20Is and has the most T20I centuries. Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest cricketer to reach 250 wickets in 2017.

Passionate Fan Following

Supporters of the Indian cricket team waving the Indian flag during match between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Indian cricket fans are incredibly passionate! They support their team all over the world. Groups like the Bharat Army cheer loudly for India, even when they play in other countries. Fans often sing popular Indian songs to support the team.

The rivalry between the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams is very strong. Many fans travel across borders to watch these exciting matches. This huge fan dedication is a big reason for the BCCI's success.

Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, a fan of the Indian cricket team, travels to all Indian home games with his body painted as the Indian flag.

Sometimes, fans get very emotional about the game. They care deeply about their team's performance. When India wins big tournaments, especially against rivals like Pakistan, fans celebrate with great joy! Important rivalries include the Border–Gavaskar Trophy with Australia and the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy with England.

Images for kids

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  Graph showing India's Test match results against all Test match teams from 1932 to September 2006

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  Indian players celebrating after taking a wicket against New Zealand in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Selección de críquet de India para niños

• Cricket in India
• BCCI Awards
• Glossary of cricket terms
• India A cricket team
• India national under-19 cricket team
• India–Pakistan cricket rivalry
• Bangladesh–India cricket rivalry
• National Cricket Academy (NCA)
• Sport in India – Overview of sports in India