Ravichandran Ashwin has surprised many by naming Jasprit Bumrah as the greatest Indian cricketer in all-format cricket. He made this choice during a discussion where he was asked to pick the best across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. The former spinner did not pick Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. Instead, he chose the star fast bowler.
Ashwin acknowledged that Kohli is a great player. But he said Bumrah is ahead of him in all formats. He admitted that he might be biased because he is a bowler himself. But he stood by his decision and named Bumrah. He also named Sachin Tendulkar as India’s greatest Test cricketer in a separate exercise.
Ashwin praised Bumrah’s ability to dominate in all three formats. He said Bumrah has been a match-winner in different conditions around the world. He also credited the pacer with changing how people view Indian fast bowling. He described Bumrah as a once-in-a-generation cricketer. He said his contributions have been crucial to India’s success on the global stage.
Bumrah has taken 234 wickets in 52 Tests. He has taken 151 wickets in 91 ODIs and 121 wickets in 95 T20Is. His record across formats is remarkable. Ashwin believes that Kohli and Rohit have achieved great things with the bat. But Bumrah’s impact as a world-class fast bowler makes him special. His choice has sparked debate. For Ashwin, Bumrah is not just a great bowler. He is the greatest Indian cricketer across all formats.
Ashwin Names Sachin Tendulkar as India’s Greatest-Ever Cricketer
Ravichandran Ashwin has named Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest-ever Indian men’s cricketer. He made this choice through a head-to-head elimination bracket on ESPNcricinfo’s Quick Singles segment. The bracket featured 16 all-time greats from different eras. Ashwin had to make several tough decisions.
In the Round of 16, Ashwin faced a difficult choice between MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja. He admitted he was tempted to pick Jadeja, but he still chose Dhoni. He also picked Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Virender Sehwag. He chose Jasprit Bumrah over Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid over Vinoo Mankad, and Sourav Ganguly over himself.
The quarterfinals brought some surprises. Ashwin picked Tendulkar over Ganguly. He selected Kapil Dev over Dravid. He also chose Sehwag over Dhoni. And in a big surprise, he picked Bumrah over Kohli. Ashwin acknowledged Kohli’s greatness and his impact on Indian cricket. But he went with Bumrah and admitted there may have been personal bias because he is a bowler.
In the semifinals, Ashwin picked Tendulkar over Sehwag. He then chose Kapil Dev over Bumrah. In the final, he had to choose between Tendulkar and Kapil. He picked Tendulkar and admitted that personal admiration played a role in his decision.
Kapil Dev finished his career with 5,248 runs and 434 wickets. He also led India to their first World Cup win in 1983. Tendulkar built one of the most remarkable batting records in cricket history. He scored 34,357 runs with 100 international centuries. His selection showed how difficult it is to choose one name from so many giants.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s Greatest Records and Achievements in International Cricket
Ravichandran Ashwin played over 287 matches for India and his records speak for themselves. He announced his retirement from international cricket on December 18, 2024.
Ashwin finishes his career with 765 wickets across all formats. This is the second-highest for India, behind only Anil Kumble’s 953 wickets. In Test cricket, he took 537 wickets, also second only to Kumble. He bagged a five-wicket haul in a Test innings 37 times. That is the second-most in history, behind only Muttiah Muralitharan. He also took 10 wickets in a match on eight occasions.
He reached 350 Test wickets in just 66 matches. That made him the joint-fastest to the mark alongside Muralitharan. He also holds the record for being the fastest to 250 and 300 Test wickets. He reached those milestones in just 45 and 54 tests, respectively.
Ashwin is the only player in Test history to have more than five centuries and 500 wickets. He scored six Test hundreds and took 500 wickets. He also won the Player of the Series award 11 times in Test cricket. That is the joint-highest, shared with Muralitharan. Only Ian Botham has more instances of scoring a century and taking a five-for in the same Test.
FAQs
Q. Who did Ashwin name India’s greatest all-format cricketer?
A. Ashwin named Jasprit Bumrah as the greatest all-format cricketer.
Q. Who did Ashwin pick as India’s greatest Test cricketer?
A. Ashwin picked Sachin Tendulkar as India’s greatest Test cricketer.
Q. Who did Ashwin choose between Bumrah and Kohli?
A. Ashwin chose Bumrah over Virat Kohli.
Q. Why does Ashwin rate Bumrah so highly?
A. Ashwin praised Bumrah’s match-winning impact across all formats.
Q. How many international centuries has Tendulkar scored?
A. Tendulkar scored 100 international centuries.
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