ICC announces ICC Awards every year. There is a Cricketer of the Year award, which is given to the best player of the year. It was started in 2004, the first awards ceremony was held on 7 September 2004 in London. See the list of Cricketer of the Year winners, Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson and Virat Kohli have won this award twice.

The Indian player received the Cricketer of the Year award in the first ceremony held in London. This award was won by Rahul Dravid, who later became the head coach of Team India and made India the T20 World Cup champion. In 2005, this award was given to South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff, this was the first and last time that this award was shared by two players.

These players have won the award twice

Sachin Tendulkar was the second Indian to win this award after Rahul Dravid, he received it for his excellent performance in the year 2010. R Ashwin became the Cricketer of the Year in 2016 and Virat Kohli in 2017. Virat Kohli became the first Indian to win the Cricketer of the Year award twice. He was also chosen the best cricketer in 2018.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was the first player to win the Cricketer of the Year award twice. He received this award in 2006 and 2007. After this, Mitchell Johnson also won this award twice (2009 and 2014).

List of Cricketer of the Year winners

• 2004- Rahul Dravid (India)
• 2005- Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Andrew Flintoff (England)
• 2006- Ricky Ponting (Australia)
• 2007- Ricky Ponting (Australia)
• 2008- Shivnarine Chanderpaul
• 2009- Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
• 2010- Sachin Tendulkar (India)
• 2011- Jonathan Trott (England)
• 2012- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
• 2013- Michael Clarke (Australia)
• 2014- Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
• 2015- Steve Smith (Australia)
• 2016- Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
• 2017- Virat Kohli (India)
• 2018- Virat Kohli (India)
• 2019- Ben Stokes (England)
• 2021- Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
• 2022- Babar Azam (Pakistan)
• 2023- Pat Cummins (Australia)
• 2024- Jasprit Bumrah (India)
• 2025- Not announced yet.

In the second ODI played against South Africa in Raipur, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a century while batting at number four. This was Gaikwad’s first ODI century. This right-handed batsman played an innings of 105 runs in 83 balls with the help of 2 sixes and 12 fours. After this century, Gaikwad has been praised by former Indian spinner R Ashwin.

On his YouTube channel, R Ashwin said, “The Indian team management should give continuous opportunity to Ruturaj Gaikwad even after Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer return to the team. It is the responsibility of the management to find a way to give him a chance.”

He said that Rituraj is an opening batsman. Some people say that he should not bat at number 4. In IPL, your best batsmen should be in the top three. But there are possibilities for Rituraj at number 4 in ODIs. He plays fast bowlers well. The spinning ball is his slight weakness, and if he is batting at number 4, he will not have to face it as much. He is also an excellent batsman of spin and runs fast between the wickets. He has all types of shots. He has nothing more to prove to bat at number 4.

Ashwin said that Gaikwad is an excellent batsman. He has filled the gap of Shreyas Iyer. He deserves to play for a long time.

The former off-spinner said that Ruturaj is the first Indian batsman to score a century at number four after the 2023 World Cup.

In the three years since his debut, he has played only eight ODIs. The right-hander made a comeback to the ODI team in South Africa in 2023, two years after his last match. How will India handle Rituraj’s role when the senior players return? It will be an important story for India in its preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Gaikwad, who returned to ODI cricket after 2 years in the absence of Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, has definitely made the path of Shreyas Iyer difficult with his century.

The debate regarding the period of change in India’s Test team is continuously increasing. After the arrival of head coach Gautam Gambhir, Team India’s performance in white ball cricket has been very strong. Whereas in the red ball format the situation seems opposite. The embarrassing 0-2 home Test series defeat against South Africa has raised many questions. Were Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin dropped from the team so soon? Could the results have been different had he been there?

Amidst this debate, R Ashwin created a new controversy by giving a statement on his YouTube channel. Ashwin said that if he, Kohli and Rohit had been given time and clarity, these players could have made the transition in the team easier.

Ashwin’s statement

Ashwin believes that no clear plan was given by the team management and selectors regarding the future. For this reason the players themselves had to take difficult decisions. Ashwin said, “There should be a clear path for transition. When there is no clarity, the decision has to be taken on one’s own. Virat could groom the players, Rohit could do it, I too could do it. Sharing the experience with the players has been our strength.”

Fans also believe that if Rohit and Kohli were in the team, the performance against South Africa might have been better. However, Team India’s great batsman Sunil Gavaskar does not completely agree with this.

Gavaskar’s strong counterattack

Sunil Gavaskar said that the decision of retirement was the players’ own. It is wrong to say that if he had been in the team, India would not have lost the series. He reminded that even when these three players were there, the team had suffered many big defeats. During a conversation with Aaj Tak, Gavaskar said, “The decision to take retirement was his own. It is not correct to say that we would have won had he been there. Earlier also we had lost against Australia by 0-3, when he was the same player. Therefore, it is wrong to think that he was dropped or his presence would have changed the result.”

In the second Test being played in Guwahati, South Africa took a lead of 395 runs till T-break on the fourth day. The danger of series defeat has increased for Team India. However, former cricketer R Ashwin feels that Indian batsmen can make a comeback for the team in the second innings. But he has expressed concern over the body language of Indian players while fielding.

South Africa won the toss and decided to bat first. The visiting team had made a huge score of 489 runs. Senuran Muthusamy had scored a century (109), while bowler Marco Jansen also played a quick inning of 93 runs. Ashwin is not at all happy with the body language of the players during India’s fielding. He made a post regarding this on Tuesday.

Ashwin not happy with the body language of Indian players!

Now it is very difficult for Team India to win the Guwahati Test, even if this Test is a draw, the visiting team will win the series. However, Ashwin feels that the Indian batsmen will bat well in the second innings. In the first innings, the Indian team was all out for 201 runs.

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin shared a photo of Rishabh Pant on his X account and wrote, “I really hope that we will be able to make a comeback while batting in the second innings, but the body language signals on the field.” Ashwin shared a broken heart emoji with it.

I really hope we can bounce back while batting in the 2nd innings, but the indications on the field with respect to body language . #indvsa pic.twitter.com/Iui9dSsQTD

— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) November 25, 2025

Only Yashasvi Jaiswal has been able to score a half century

Not only in this match, but in all three innings of this series against South Africa, only Yashasvi Jaiswal has been able to score a half-century (58). In the first Test played in Kolkata, India lost in 3 days, even though the target was only 124 runs. Now even if the second test is drawn then South Africa will win the test series.

Batsmen often make headlines in the ICC World Test Championship, but there are some bowlers who made the match one-sided with their rhythm, line and stick length. Till now in the history of WTC, there have been many bowlers who made records by taking 12 to 14 wickets in a single match. Let us know when and how which bowler did this miracle.

Ajaz Patel – New Zealand

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel is still known for his incredible record. He took a total of 14 wickets in the Wankhede Test against India (3 December 2021). A long spell of 73.5 overs, 15 maidens and 14 wickets for 225 runs… this figure shows that he single-handedly forced the Indian batsmen to kneel. This is the most amazing match bowling figure in WTC history.

Mitchell Santner – New Zealand

In October 2024, Mitchell Santner of New Zealand gave such a performance against India in Pune that everyone was surprised. He took 13 wickets in his spell. By giving away 48.3 overs, only 3 maidens and 157 runs, he displayed his brilliant bowling. This performance against a strong team like India is proof of his spin mastery.

Gus Atkinson – England

England’s fast bowler Gus Atkinson created a stir by taking 12 wickets in 26 overs in the Lord’s Test (10 July 2024) against West Indies. 12 wickets for just 106 runs… This figure shows how he made excellent use of the pitch and his pace.

Sajid Khan – Pakistan

Pakistan off-spinner Sajid Khan wreaked havoc on Bangladesh in December 2021, taking 12 wickets. 12 maidens and 128 runs in 47.4 overs. This match was entirely in his name and proved to be decisive in Pakistan’s victory.

R. Ashwin – West Indies

India’s legendary spinner R. Ashwin made the match one-sided by taking 12 wickets in Rojo (West Indies) in July 2023. 13 maidens, 131 runs and 12 wickets in 46 overs, this is another golden chapter in Ashwin’s record.

India vs South Africa 2nd Test is being played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. Batting first, South Africa scored 489 runs, but the batsmen of the Indian team flopped badly in the first innings. Captain Rishabh Pant (7) was out playing an irresponsible shot, while Sai Sudarshan (15), Dhruv Jurel (15), Ravindra Jadeja (6) also returned to the pavilion cheaply. Meanwhile, Karun Nair shared a cryptic message, on which Ashwin also reacted.

In the Guwahati Test, Team India’s 7th wicket fell at the score of 122. It must be good for Washington Sundar, who scored 48 runs, otherwise it would have been difficult to reach the total score of 150. Sundar hit 2 fours and 1 six in this innings played in 92 balls. Of course, Kuldeep Yadav scored only 19 runs, but he faced 134 balls. This is much more than the total of balls played by Pant, Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jadeja. On Monday, when Team India’s innings was going on, experienced player Karun Nair posted a cryptic message on X.

What did Karun Nair write?

Karun Nair wrote on his Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin also shared a laughing emoji on this post of Nair.

Some conditions carry a feel you know by heart — and the silence of not being out there adds its own sting.

— Karun Nair (@karun126) November 24, 2025

Karun Nair was selected in the Test team on the England tour this year after 8 years, however, after poor performance there, he was dropped from the Test team. He was not selected in the Test team against West Indies and then South Africa at home.

Karun Nair’s international career

33-year-old Karun Nair has played 10 Test and 2 ODI matches for India. In this he has scored 579 and 46 runs respectively. His highest score in Test is 303 runs, which he made against England in 2016.

Most Wickets In WTC: Since the start of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), the role of bowlers in Test cricket has become even more important. Long spells, match-changing balls and the art of taking wickets in difficult situations, amidst all this, there are some bowlers who have made their own identity in the WTC. At present, the top-5 list of highest wicket takers includes three Australian and two Indian bowlers, who are giving strong proof of their ability in Test cricket.

Nathan Lyon – Australia

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has become the highest wicket-taker in the history of WTC. He has taken 219 wickets since 2019. The specialty of Lion’s bowling is his consistent line-length and his ability to make the batsmen make mistakes. His best figure has been 8/64 and he has taken four wickets 13 times and five wickets 10 times.

Pat Cummins – Australia

Australian captain Pat Cummins is also very close to Lion with 215 wickets. Cummins has won many matches in WTC by showing amazing swing and bounce along with fast pace. His impressive average of 22.13 and best spell of 6/28 make him one of the most lethal bowlers in modern cricket.

Mitchell Starc – Australia

Mitchell Starc troubles the batsmen with his in-swing yorker and left-arm angle. Starc has taken 201 wickets so far. His strike rate (43.33) shows that he takes wickets at regular intervals and emerges as a threat with both the new and old balls.

R Ashwin – India

India’s great spinner R. Ashwin has taken 195 wickets in his name in WTC. His best bowling figures are 7/71 and he is among the bowlers with the lowest average (21.49). Ashwin always increases the challenge for the batsmen with the help of spin, flight and variation.

Jasprit Bumrah – India

Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has made it to the top-5 by taking 184 wickets so far. His average of 18.90 and strike rate of 40.53 shows that he is one of the most lethal bowlers. Every batsman in the world is troubled by Bumrah’s unique action, accuracy and reverse swing.

Most Wickets In IPL: The Indian Premier League (IPL) has proved to be a big platform for fast bowlers and spinners since its inception. From 2008 till now, many Indian and foreign bowlers have changed the course of the match with their lethal bowling. According to all the data till IPL 2025, the dominance of Indian spinners is clearly visible in the list of bowlers taking the most wickets in this tournament.

Yuzvendra Chahal

At the top is India’s leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has shown the magic of his spin while playing for Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and now Rajasthan Royals during the IPL. Chahal has taken 221 wickets in 174 matches so far. His best performance has been 5/40, while 8 times he has taken 4 wickets in an innings. So far in IPL history, no Indian spinner has been able to come close to Chahal’s figures.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

In second place is experienced swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is known for his accurate line-length and ability to take wickets in the powerplay. Bhuvneshwar has taken 198 wickets in 190 matches, in which 5/19 has been his best performance. In the history of IPL, his name has always been included among the most reliable bowlers in the death overs.

Sunil Narayan

After this, in this list comes Kolkata Knight Riders’ star spinner Sunil Narayan, whose name is counted among the legendary bowlers of IPL. Narayan has taken 192 wickets so far and his economy is only 6.79, which is considered very good in T20 cricket.

Piyush Chawla

Experienced spinner Piyush Chawla is in fourth place. He has made his IPL career very successful by taking 192 wickets in 192 matches. He has bowled brilliantly for Chennai, Punjab, Mumbai and Kolkata. Chawla’s performance since the initial season has been consistently reliable for the teams.

Ravichandran Ashwin

India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is at fifth place in this list, who has taken 187 wickets in IPL. Although he is more famous for his economical bowling and cleverness, his contribution in taking wickets has also been no less.

IND Vs SA: The crushing 30-run defeat at the hands of South Africa at Eden Gardens has exposed the weaknesses of Team India. Despite giving a modest target of 134 runs, the bowlers of the African team restricted the Indian batsmen to 93 runs. Now former player of Team India R. Ashwin has shown the mirror to the team.

On his YouTube channel, Ashwin candidly said that today’s Indian team, especially against spin, is not as strong as it was before. According to him, teams from western countries now play spin better than India and this was clearly visible on the Eden Garden pitch.

“Had Sachin been there, the match would have gone to the fourth day”

Making a comparison, Ashwin said that if great batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Amol Majumdar or Mithun Manhas had played against spin on the same pitch, this Test would have been played not for three days but for four days. According to Ashwin, out of 16 batsmen, only 3-4 were able to defend properly in the match. He clearly said, “If you want to play on turning tracks, your game against spin must be strong. Otherwise do not play on such pitches.”

India’s batting completely faltered

Shubman Gill was out in the first innings due to a neck injury and the team had to bat with only 10 players. Washington Sundar (31) and Axar Patel (26) struggled for some time, but the rest of the batsmen continued to walk cheaply. South African spinner Simon Harmer took 4 wickets.

Indian batsmen’s decline against spin since 2020

Ashwin has presented a shocking figure. He said that between 2016 and 2019, Indian batsmen used to score runs against spin at an average speed of 53.3. From 2020 to 2024, this average has fallen to 33.8. The same decline is also visible in India’s domestic Test dominance. From 2011 to 2023, India had lost only 5 tests at home. However, since 2023, after Gautam Gambhir became the coach, India has lost 5 tests.

“We work hard on fast bowling, not on spin.”

Ashwin said that Indian players now consider fast bowling as a challenge and work harder on it, while ignoring spin bowling. He said, “We were the best spin players in the world. Now western teams are better than us because they practice more.”

Second test now like ‘do or die’

South Africa has won the Test in India for the first time since 2010. The second and final Test of the series will be played on 22 November in Guwahati, where India needs to win at any cost. It is clear that if India has to prove its dominance at home again, it will have to bring back its old identity against spin.

The dominance of batsmen is seen more in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, there are many bowlers in this league who have turned the tide of the match on their own. Yuzvendra Chahal continues to top the list of bowlers taking the most wickets in IPL history. Chahal has left other greats behind by consistently performing well.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal, who has played for Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, RCB and now Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, tops the list with 221 wickets. Chahal, who has been playing IPL since 2013, has played 174 matches so far and his best bowling performance has been 5/40. An economy of around 8 and an average of less than 23 is proof of Chahal’s impressive bowling. He is the only spinner in the history of IPL who has consistently maintained his rhythm and control.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

At second place is India’s swing master Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been a part of the league since 2011. Bhuvi has taken 198 wickets in 190 matches. His best has been 5/19, and the most important thing is that he has proved himself in both powerplay and death overs. Bhuvi’s economy is better than Chahal’s, i.e. 7.69, which is proof of his accurate line-length.

Sunil Narine

Kolkata Knight Riders legend Sunil Narine is at third place with 192 wickets. His biggest strength is the art of reading batsmen and consistent tight bowling. With an excellent economy of 6.79, Narine has made his own mark in IPL history. Narine, who has been continuously associated with KKR since 2012, has been the most reliable face of the team’s bowling.

Piyush Chawla

Piyush Chawla is in fourth place, who has 192 wickets in his name. Chawla is one of the most experienced players of IPL and has been a consistent part of the league since 2008. While playing for CSK, KKR, KXIP and MI, Chawla baffled many batsmen with his googly and fast spin.

R Ashwin

India’s experienced off-spinner R Ashwin is at fifth place in this list, who has taken 187 wickets. His bowling style may be a little different in IPL, but on the basis of his experience he always puts pressure on the opposition team. Ashwin’s smart bowling, carrom ball and line-length always make him special.