Rahul Dravid has to be the first name that comes to your mind when you think Namma Karunadu and cricket. In his career span, this great cricketer has had the humble opportunity to appear in not one but two Cricket World Cups (1999 and 2003) and he also got to be Captain for a third Cricket World Cup (2007). One of these was his debut in 1999. Although India didn’t qualify for the semi-finals that year, many good things came out of it for Dravid. First one was his killer partnership with Sachin Tendulkar against Kenya in Bristol, where they scored 237 together, out which Rahul ended hitting his maiden World Cup century.

He is also credited to his the first ever three hundred run partnership with none other than Sourav Ganguly, against Sri Lanka in Taunton. Additionally, he emerged as the top scorer of the whole tournament with 461 runs in just 8 games. Who else wishes to see this great legend on the pitch again?

Counted as the third-highest wicket-taker of all time right after Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne, Anil Kumble is another name fans miss on the pitch. Another feat that Mr Kumble achieved was dismissing all ten batsmen while playing a Test against Pakistan in 1999, becoming the only other player apart from England’s Jim Laker to do so. His big Cricket World Cup Moment came in the year 1996, where he proved to be the best bowler of the whole tournament. So much so, that in just 7 matches he was able to take 15 wickets! Woah!

Kumble also became the appointed chairman of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket committee. Furthermore, in February 2015, he was humbled to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Roger Binny was the first Anglo-Indian cricketer to play for the Indian team. Known as an all-rounder, Binny shined in two ICC World Cups. The first one was in 1983, where he took a whopping 18 wickets in the whole tournament! His luck and the pitch were again on his side in 1985 where he came to his previous score and knocked out 17 wickets in total! His son Stuart Binny has been trying to carry on his legacy ever since.

After being appointed as one of the five members of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), Roger Binny is now an office bearer for the KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association).

Currently playing the role of an ICC match-referee is the next cricketer on the list, Javagal Srinath, whom we wish we could see once again on the pitch. Mr Srinath is not only considered to be one of the fastest bowlers in Indian Cricketing history but is also sought after as the finest one. With more than 300 wickets cumulatively in his One-Day-International career, this legend has 4 great and memorable Cricket World Cups (1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003) in his pocket. Altogether, he took 44 wickets in these 4 Cricket World Cups. Isn’t that like super-cool?

Winning the prestigious award for the best wicket keeper in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, Syed Kirmani, because of the highlight of the match when he took Faoud Bacchus’ catch during the finals against West Indies. For his immense contribution to Cricket, Syed Kirmani was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1982.

Don’t you miss these cricketers? Share your thoughts in seen them back on the pitch, in the space provided below.

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