Top 10 Greatest Indian Cricketers of All Time
Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest Indian cricketer of all time. He holds the records for the most runs in both Test and ODI cricket and is the only player with 100 international centuries.
Number one on this list is Sachin Tendulkar — Tendulkar made his Test debut at 16 and played for 24 years, scoring 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs, both world records. See why, plus 9 more →
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni follow, one for his batting records across formats and the other for leading India to three ICC titles as captain. Kapil Dev, who lifted the 1983 World Cup, and Sunil Gavaskar, the first batter to reach 10,000 Test runs, complete the top five.
This ranking weighs career records, match-winning impact, ICC trophies and how each player changed Indian cricket. We compared players across eras rather than only by raw totals, because modern players have far more matches than those of the 1970s and 1980s. Career statistics are for international cricket and are as of September 2026. Several of these players are still active in some formats, so their totals can change. For the current India team, see our separate list of the top cricketers in India in 2026.
The full ranking — 10 picks
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Rank 1
Sachin Tendulkar
Batter, 1989 to 2013Tendulkar made his Test debut at 16 and played for 24 years, scoring 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs, both world records. He is the only player with 100 international centuries and scored the first double century in men's ODIs. He won the 2011 World Cup and received the Bharat Ratna in 2014.
34,357international runs 100international 100s 200Tests -
Rank 2
Virat Kohli
Batter, since 2008Kohli holds the record for the most ODI centuries and is among the best chasers the game has seen. He scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests and is India's most successful Test captain by wins. He retired from T20 internationals after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup and from Tests in 2025, and he also won the 2011 World Cup.
9,230Test runs 123Tests 4ICC senior titles -
Rank 3
MS Dhoni
Wicketkeeper-batter, 2004 to 2019Dhoni is the only captain to win all three major ICC white-ball trophies: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 World Cup, which he finished with a six, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He also took India to the top of the Test rankings. He has won five IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings.
3ICC titles as captain 5IPL titles -
Rank 4
Kapil Dev
All-rounder, 1978 to 1994Kapil Dev captained India to the 1983 World Cup, the win that changed cricket in India, and scored 175 not out against Zimbabwe on the way. He retired with a then world record of 434 Test wickets and also made 5,248 Test runs, which makes him India's greatest fast-bowling all-rounder.
434Test wickets 5,248Test runs 1983World Cup -
Rank 5
Sunil Gavaskar
Opening batter, 1971 to 1987Gavaskar faced the fearsome fast bowlers of the West Indies without a helmet for much of his career and became the first batter to score 10,000 Test runs. His 34 Test centuries were a world record for nearly two decades, until Tendulkar passed it. He finished with 10,122 Test runs.
10,122Test runs 34Test 100s 125Tests -
Rank 6
Rahul Dravid
Batter, 1996 to 2012Nicknamed The Wall for his defence, Dravid scored 13,288 Test runs with 36 centuries and took 210 catches, a Test record for a fielder when he retired. He also kept wicket in ODIs to balance the side. As head coach he guided India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title.
13,288Test runs 36Test 100s 210Test catches -
Rank 7
Anil Kumble
Leg-spinner, 1990 to 2008Kumble is India's highest Test wicket-taker with 619 wickets. In 1999 against Pakistan in Delhi he took all ten wickets in an innings, only the second bowler in Test history to do so. He bowled with a broken jaw in Antigua in 2002 and later captained India and served as head coach.
619Test wickets 10/74best innings -
Rank 8
Rohit Sharma
Batter, since 2007Rohit Sharma holds the record for the highest ODI score, 264, and is the only batter with three ODI double centuries. As captain he led India to the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, and he has won five IPL titles with Mumbai Indians. He retired from T20 internationals in 2024 and from Tests in 2025.
264highest ODI score 3ODI 200s 2ICC titles as captain -
Rank 9
Sourav Ganguly
Batter and captain, 1992 to 2008Ganguly scored more than 11,000 ODI runs as a left-handed opener, but his biggest mark was as captain from 2000 to 2005. He rebuilt the team after the match-fixing scandal, backed young players such as Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Zaheer, and led India to the 2003 World Cup final. He later served as BCCI president.
11,000+ODI runs 2000 to 2005captain -
Rank 10
R. Ashwin
Off-spinner, 2010 to 2024Ashwin retired in December 2024 with 537 Test wickets, second only to Kumble for India, from 106 Tests. He won 11 Player of the Series awards in Tests, a joint world record, and scored six Test centuries. He was part of India's 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning squads.
537Test wickets 106Tests 11Player of the Series
About this list
Top 10 Greatest Indian Cricketers of All Time runs from 1 to 10. Sachin Tendulkar takes the top spot, and R. Ashwin closes it out at number 10. It was first published on 24 September 2026.
Spotted something out of date, or an entry you would rank differently? Tell us — the order on this page is revised as the picks change.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the greatest Indian cricketer of all time?
Sachin Tendulkar is widely regarded as the greatest. He scored 34,357 international runs and 100 international centuries in a career that ran from 1989 to 2013.
Who has scored the most runs for India?
Sachin Tendulkar, with 15,921 runs in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs. Both are world records.
Who has taken the most wickets for India in Tests?
Anil Kumble, with 619 Test wickets. R. Ashwin is second with 537.
Which Indian captain has won the most ICC trophies?
MS Dhoni won three ICC trophies as captain: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma won two, the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Who was India's first World Cup-winning captain?
Kapil Dev, who led India to victory over the West Indies in the 1983 World Cup final at Lord's.
What is number 1 on Top 10 Greatest Indian Cricketers of All Time?
Sachin Tendulkar is ranked number 1 on Top 10 Greatest Indian Cricketers of All Time. Tendulkar made his Test debut at 16 and played for 24 years, scoring 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs, both world records.
When was this list last updated?
This list was last updated on 24 September 2026.
Which category does this list belong to?
It sits in the Sports category. Top cricketers, athletes, sports moments in India. Every Sports list is at trendingpunjabi.com/top/category/sports, and all TrendingPunjabi top lists are at trendingpunjabi.com/top/.
