Shane Warne was one of Australia’s most famous sports stars. He did so much for the reputation of cricket both in Australia and abroad. With a larger than life personality and an infectious smile, Warne lit up any room that he was in. Tragically he passed, far too soon, in March of last year at the age of just 52. Exactly a year on, we’re going to take a look back at the career and personal life of Shane Warne, a true legend of Australian cricket.
Shane Warne’s Life on the Pitch
Shane Warne’s cricket career began in 1983 when he was selected to play for the University of Melbourne Cricket Club, where he played in an under-16s tournament and cemented himself a place on the team. It wouldn’t be until three years later that he was chosen to train at the Australian Cricket Academy. He spent a year honing his skills before moving to the UK and getting signed to Accrington Cricket Club as their bowler – and so his professional cricket career began.
Over the next 22 years, Warne’s right-arm leg spin style saw him go down in history as one of the greatest bowlers that the sport had ever seen. During his time playing for Victoria, Hampshire, and Australia, he set the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test cricket, with 708 wickets to his name.
After his retirement, Warne couldn’t stay away from the game. He worked often as a cricket commentator, bringing a degree of mastery and insight to his commentary that made games even more fascinating to watch. He also coached for the Rajasthan Royals, captaining the team at different points too.
Shane Warne at the Poker Table
As well as being a brilliant cricketer, Shane Warne was also at home at the poker table. He played in several live tournaments and was even part of a poker pro team. Not only did he enjoy a round of poker, but he was partial to visiting casino resorts whilst on vacation. If you’d like to achieve a little of what Shane Warne did on the tables of the card game but don’t feel up to an in-person game just quite yet, then this review of PokerStars Casino Ontario shows just how much fun it’s possible to have online. After playing at the Aussie Millions, the WSOP, and the 888 UK Poker Open, Warne slowed down his poker career in order to pursue charity work.
Ed Sheeran Pays Tribute to Shane Warne
On the 2nd of March, Ed Sheeran played a show at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a ground that Warne knew well. Warne’s loved ones watched from a corporate box, in the stand now named after him. Whilst the night was guaranteed to be a great one, in no small part thanks to the friendship between Ed Sheeran and Shane Warne, his family certainly weren’t expecting Sheeran to stop in the middle of his break-through song ‘A-Team’ to dedicate it to Shane Warne himself. What a beautiful tribute just one year on.
Currently perched atop both the men’s T20 and ODI rankings according to the International Cricket Council (ICC), India are rightly regarded as one of the best (if not the best) cricketing side in the world right now. But who stands out at an individual level among their ranks?
Given that cricket is a sport played across three different formats (T20, ODI and Test), it’s difficult to pinpoint a single player who outshines all others. Having said that, it’s definitely possible to whittle down the list of candidates. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a shortlist of the men we think are India’s best cricketers in 2023.
Suryakumar Yadav
Known informally as SKY, Suryakumar Yadav is currently the best T20 batsman on the planet. Anyone who likes to place a wager on cric live will be well aware that he is virtually unstoppable once he hits his stride, though he’s unproven on the ODI stage (having only played 20 matches to date) and has never participated in a Test game so far. A late bloomer, he was only called up to the Indian team once he had already entered his 30s, but he appears to be making up for lost time right now.
Virat Kohli
In a career spanning more than 15 years, Virat Kohli has done it all. He has 8,195 runs in 106 Test matches, 12,809 runs in 271 ODI matches and 4,008 runs in 115, giving him one of the highest batting averages of any batsman to take to the field for his country. He is also a former captain of India and has one World Cup winner’s medal with the team (from 2011), as well as coming runner-up in both the 2014 T20 World Cup and the 2019-21 Word Test Championship. At the age of 34, he still continues to be one of the leading lights of the sport domestically and internationally.
Ravichandran Ashwin
As the fastest Indian bowler to reach the milestones of 50-, 100-, 150-, 200-, 250-, 300-, 350-, 400- and 450-wickets in terms of innings bowled, Ravichandran Ashwin has a strong claim to be the best bowler the country has ever produced. Indeed, he currently sits top of the ICC’s Test rankings for bowlers; alongside that considerable achievement, he’s also a hugely accomplished all-rounder. He has scored five Test centuries and won nine Man of the Series awards for Test matches, which is the most of any Indian cricketer ever.
Jasprit Bumrah
Quite simply, Jasprit Bumrah is a fast-bowling sensation. With his unorthodox style, he can catch opponents off-guard through his short run-up, jerky elbow and incredible pace. All of these ingredients mean that he can deliver a pinpoint yorker or a torturous inswinger as the occasion demands – and it’s this diversity in his abilities which makes him perhaps the most complete bowler playing the game today. Unfortunately, his career has been ravaged by injuries, but when he’s fit and firing, he’s more than a match for anyone.
What do you think? Have we correctly identified the best Indian cricketers playing the sport today? Or is there someone we’ve inexplicably missed out? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.
