India is now a major force in world cricket. Ahead of every series or tournament, the side will be among the favorites in all three formats. The introduction of the Indian Premier League in 2008 has also helped to boost the sport around the country and beyond.

They will continue to play entertaining and attacking cricket moving forward, but how much do you actually know about India’s team and players?

Multiple World Champions

The next big challenge for India is the 50-Over World Cup which will be held later this year. From October 5th to November 19th, the best ODI sides will be battling for the trophy and the fact that the tournament will be held on Indian soil helps to make the home side the favourites.

Current cricket betting markets place India ahead of a chasing pack that includes Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and the defending champions England.

Indian teams have won the World Cup on two previous occasions. The first came in 1983 when the side led by Kapil Dev upset the odds to overcome the mighty West Indies. The second success in this tournament came under MS Dhoni in 2011.

India also won the first edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, so they are multiple world champions in the two limited overs formats.

 

The Greatest of All Time

It’s a debate that takes place in any sport: Who is the GOAT - the greatest of all time? In cricket, the argument is up for question, but the statistics point to one brilliant Indian batsman. Sachin Tendulkar has scored more international runs and hit more international centuries than anyone else.

He made his debut for the national team in a test match against Pakistan in 1989, and he retired 14 years later while he was still at the height of his powers. Tendulkar hit an incredible 100 international hundreds and made 34,357 runs.

 

Shikhar’s Starring Role

In the modern day, Indian cricket and Bollywood go hand-in-hand. The inception of the IPL saw a number of members of the film industry getting involved with team ownership. Shah Rukh Khan of the Kolkata Knight Riders and Preity Zinta from Punjab Kings are two examples.

In return, Indian cricketers have played their part in boosting Bollywood. Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Yuvraj Singh and Vinod Kambli are among those who have acted. From the current Indian squad, Shikhar Dhawan made his Bollywood debut in 2022 in a film entitled Double XL.

 

Rohit’s Records

Current Indian captain Rohit Sharma is a prolific run scorer in all forms of the game, but he’s been an exceptional performer in One Day Internationals. Rohit is a record breaker in this format and his list of landmarks includes the highest ODI score of all time.

India’s skipper blasted a scarcely believable 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014 and he’s also the only man to have hit three international double hundreds in this format. Those are incredible statistics, and they underline Rohit Sharma’s quality in the shorter forms.

 

Kohli’s Car Collection

Many highly paid athletes like to spend money on fancy cars, and the top cricketers are no exception. There is some competition among the Indian team here, but it will be tough to beat the collection of former skipper Virat Kohli.

Kohli can boast two editions of the top-of-the-range Audi 8 and he also owns Range Rovers and a rather more basic Renault Duster.

 

Dhoni’s Dismissals

Legendary Indian wicket keeper MS Dhoni continues to draw the crowds in the IPL. When we look back on his international career, he will largely be remembered as a great leader and a dashing batsman, but his keeping was highly underrated.

Dhoni holds two records in One Day Internationals. His six dismissals in an innings against England in 2007 is the best ever, while his score of 183 versus Sri Lanka in 2005 is a record total for a wicket keeper.

 

Cricketing Brothers

Sets of siblings may have been a common sight for some cricketing countries, but they are relatively rare as far as India are concerned. In the modern day, Hardik and Krunal Pandya are going against that trend.

Hardik Pandya is the more successful brother and is an important member of the team in all formats. Krunal Pandya is a useful batter and left arm spinner but has so far only featured in 24 limited overs internationals.

The Indian team of today will continue to set new landmarks in cricket terms, while their celebrity status will add to their notoriety.

For now, the focus is firmly on the cricket field, as there is a world cup to be won. When the opportunity comes for some downtime, these legendary players will begin to make some more headlines away from the pitch.