6 Indian legends who bid goodbye this decade 

The decade gone by witnessed many highs and lows in Indian cricket. The biggest moment of course came at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011 as MS Dhoni-led India to a famous World Cup triumph. It was India’s first World Cup win since Kapil Dev’s men created history at Lord’s in 1983. The other memorable triumph came in England when India won the Champions Trophy in 2013. Following this victory, Dhoni became the first captain in international cricket to have lofted all 3 ICC trophies. In Tests, Virat Kohli-led India have been on a roll. They remained unbeaten in 2019, and are currently the number one Test side in the world.

Also see – U19 world cup winners list

Among the major disappointments in the decade were the Test series loss at home to England in 2012, the World Cup semi-final defeats in 2015 and 2019, World T20 losses in the final and semi-final in 2014 and 2016 respectively, and the embarrassing Champions Trophy final defeat in 2017. Along the way, some legends of Indian cricket also hung up their boots. Here’s a look at six of them.

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#6. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh - who played a stellar role in India’s 2011 World Cup win at home, announced his international retirement in June 2019. Yuvraj was the player of the tournament in the 2011 World Cup, scoring 362 runs and claiming 15 wickets. Diagnosed with cancer just months after the grand achievement, he returned to the sport a year later, but could not achieve the same heights.

Yuvraj featured in 304 ODIs for India, amassing 8,701 runs at an average of 36.5 with 14 hundreds and 52 fifties at a strike rate of 87.7. He also claimed 111 wickets with his left-arm spin. In 58 T20Is, he notched up 1,177 runs at a strike rate of 136.38, slamming eight fifties. The southpaw wasn’t as successful in Tests, scoring 1,900 matches in 40 matches at an average of 33.92 with three hundreds and 11 fifties.

The left-hander will always be remembered for hitting England's Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over during the World T20 match at Durban in 2007. He was part of the Indian U-19 squad that won the World Cup in 2000. His made his Indian debut the same year, during ICC Knock-out Trophy in Kenya. In just his second match, Yuvraj smashed a match-winning 84 against an Australian attack comprising Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie.

Yuvraj last played for India in an ODI in West Indies in June 2017.

#5. Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan

From a kid from the small town of Shrirampur in Maharashtra to the leader of India’s pace attack, Zaheer’s story is an inspirational one for sure. India’s greatest left-arm seamer, Zaheer Khan announced his international retirement in October 2015. Making his debut along with Yuvraj Singh at the ICC Knock-out Trophy in 2000, Khan led India’s pace bowling admirably over the next decade. With 311 wickets from 92 Tests at an average of 32.94, he was second only to Kapil Dev among most wickets taken by Indian pacers in the format.

In ODIs, Zaheer picked up 282 wickets in 200 matches at an average of 29.43 apart from 17 scalps in as many T20Is. After claiming 3 for 48 on ODI debut versus Kenya, he famously dismissed Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh in the next game against Australia, paving the way for India’s victory. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker during India’s victorious 2011 World Cup campaign with 21 wickets.

Zaheer also played a prominent role in India’s 2007 Test series win in England. He picked up 18 wickets at an impressive average of 20.33, 9 of them coming at Trent Bridge win that gave India a 0-1 lead. Further, Zaheer was also man of the match for his 8 wickets against Australia at Mohali in 2010. He struggled with injuries in his last few years, and played his last Test against New Zealand at Wellington in February 2014. His last ODI came against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in August 2012.

#4. Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag

India’s most swashbuckling opener since Kris Srikkanth, Virender Sehwag called it a day in October 2015 after an illustrious career that lasted a decade-and-a-half. Although his aggressive style of batting was naturally suited to the shorter formats, it was in Tests, as an opener, that Sehwag found greater success. The antithesis of Sunil Gavaskar, India’s most renowned Test opener, Sehwag was equally effective.

In 104 Tests, Sehwag amassed 8,586 runs at an average of 49.34 with 23 hundreds and 32 fifties. Sehwag was the first Indian batsman to register a triple hundred, and remains the only Indian with two 300-plus scores to his name. In fact, he remains the only batsman in international cricket with two triple hundreds and one 290-plus score. The maverick batsman scored 284 runs in day against Sri Lanka during the Mumbai Test (Brabourne Stadium) in December 2009. Sehwag would be indebted to former skipper Sourav Ganguly, who pushed him to open as there was no place in the middle-order.

In 251 ODIs, Sehwag scored 8,273 runs at average of 35.05 with 15 hundreds and 38 fifties. He finished with an amazing strike rate of 104.33. The Nawab of Najafgarh was the second batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to register an ODI double hundred. In T20Is, he scored 394 runs in 14 games. As a part-time off-spinner, he picked up 40 Tests and 96 one-day scalps.

Sehwag struggled with form and eye-sight issues in his last few years. He last played a Test against Australia at Hyderabad in March 2013, a couple of months after his last ODI against Pakistan at Kolkata.

#3. VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman

India’s Very Very Special talent, VVS Laxman retired from international cricket in August 2012 after faring poorly in England and Australia in the 2011-12 season. Laxman featured in 134 Tests for India and notched up 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97 with 17 hundreds and 56 fifties. He played in only 86 ODIs, scoring 2,338 runs at an average of 30.76 with 6 hundreds and 10 fifties. Laxman is among the handful of cricketers who have played over 100 Tests but have never featured in the World Cup.

The elegant Hyderabadi’s name will forever be synonymous with the 281 against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001 when he, along with Rahul Dravid, engineered one of the most stunning turnarounds in Test cricket, after India were made to follow-on. Laxman, in fact, reserved special treatment for Australia. It was against them at Sydney in 2000 that he registered his maiden Test hundred - a cracking 167 in a losing cause. He also scored two big hundreds in the 2003-04 series Down Under. His unbeaten 73 saw India home in a tense chase of 216 at Mohali in 2010 after they stumbled to 124 for 8.

Laxman made his Test debut against South Africa at Ahmedabad in 1996, and scored a hard-fought 51 in a winning cause. However, it was not until the early 2000s that he became a permanent fixture in the Indian team. He often lost his place in the Test side after being asked to open in the absence of regular openers. Once he moved to the middle-order, he was a different player altogether.

Despite managing only 337 runs in 8 Tests in Australia and England, he was chosen for the Tests against New Zealand in 2012. However, he announced his retirement prior to the series, marking the end of a ‘special’ era in Indian cricket.

#2. Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid

The Wall of Indian cricket for 16 years, Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket in March 2012. In a decorated career, Dravid amassed 13,288 runs in 164 Tests with 36 centuries. Often termed as too slow for ODI cricket, Dravid proved his critics wrong, finishing with 10,889 runs in 334 games at an average of 39.16, notching up 12 hundreds and 83 fifties. Dravid was handed a surprise T20I debut in England in 2011, and hit 31 runs with three consecutive sixes in his only T20I.

In an era of swashbuckling Sehwag, supreme Sachin and serene Laxman, Dravid was Mr. Consistent, coming up with the goods under pressure on more occasions than not. His finest moment came at Adelaide in 2003 when he notched up 233 and 72 not out in India’s memorable 4-wicket triumph. He also scored a marathon 270, batting for 740 minutes, in the Rawalpindi Test of 2004.

For most part of his career though, Dravid was the perfect foil to the lead hero. It all began at Lord’s in 1996 when he made 95 on debut even as Sourav Ganguly scored 131. In the Nottingham Test, Ganguly made 136, Sachin Tendulkar 177 while Dravid scored 84. The legend’s finest support act was undoubtedly at Kolkata against Australia in 2001 when Dravid (180) partnered Laxman (281) in 376-run game turning stand. Playing second fiddle worked well for Dravid he could stay in his own zone.

Dravid was part of the Indian team that made the 2003 World Cup final, and was also the captain of the Test team that beat England in England in 2007. After managing only 194 runs in his 8 innings in Australia during the 2011-12 series, he decided to call time on his career. Dravid was bowled 6 times in eight innings in his last series. The Wall had been finally breached.

#1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar

As clichéd as it may sound, Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement from international cricket on November 16, 2013 marked the end of an era in Indian cricket. For more than two decades following his debut as a 16-year-old in Pakistan in 1989, chants of ‘Sachin, Sachin’ reverberated in most stadiums when he was batting, and many times even when he was not.

Tendulkar’s records will be written and spoken about for ages to come. He is the leading run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs with 15,921 runs and 18,426 runs respectively. In 200 Tests, Tendulkar notched up 51 hundreds and 68 fifties at an average of 53.78. Further, he smashed 49 hundreds and 96 fifties in ODIs.

The Indian maestro holds the record for the most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs, and is the first cricketer to score 100 international hundreds. He is the only cricketer to have played 200 Tests till date. Also, in Gwalior in February 2010, two months short of his 37th birthday, the Master Blaster created history by becoming the first batsman to score a double hundred in one-day cricket.

Tendulkar was part of India’s 2011 World Cup winning squad. Even in his last World Cup, he was the second highest run-getter with 482 runs in 9 games at an average of 53.55 with two hundreds and as many fifties, including the crucial half-century in the semi-final against Pakistan. Tendulkar holds the record for having scored the most runs in World Cup - 2,278 runs in 45 games. He also shares the record for the most World Cup hundreds (6) with Rohit Sharma.

Sachin Tendulkar got a grand farewell

Tendulkar was the part of the team that was whitewashed 4-0 in both England and Australia in 2011-12. He scored 273 runs in England and 287 in Australia. His last Test hundred came at Cape Town in 2011. He was well past his prime in his last couple of years. Even his 100th international hundred was a slow one, coming in a losing cause against Bangladesh at Mirpur in March 2012.

The don of Indian cricket retired with 74 at his home ground at Wankhede Stadium in November 2013. As Tendulkar walked away following his emotional retirement speech, he left behind a void that will remain in Indian cricket fans’ hearts forever.