10 greatest Indian spinners to ever play the game
Published on: Jan 21, 2023 4:21 pm IST|Updated on: Jul 25, 2023 12:14 pm IST
India has always had a rich history of producing some of the greatest spin bowlers in the world. From Anil Kumble to Bishan Singh Bedi, Harbhajan Singh to Erapalli Prasanna, India has never lacked quality spinner in their cricket history.
10 Best Indian Spinners
We have come up with some of the greatest Indian spinners who have made it big at the international arena.
1. Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is considered to be one of the greatest spin bowlers to ever play the game of cricket. He made his international debut for India in 1990 and went on to play for the national team for 18 years. He holds several records, including the most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in Test cricket and the one of the rare bowlers to scalp all 10 wickets in a Test innings. Well, he wasn’t a huge turner of the cricket ball, but was known for his variations and the ability to take wickets on any surface.
2. Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh is perhaps the greatest off-spin bowler India has ever produced. He made his international debut for India in 1998 and represented the country for 18 long years. He was known for his ability to take wickets with his off-spin bowling and his aggressive attitude on the field. He holds several records and ended his career as the leading wicket-taker as an off-spinner in Indian cricket.
3. Bishan Singh Bedi
Bishan Singh Bedi was India’s flag bearer in the 70s. He made his international debut for India in 1966 and ended his career with 266 test wickets to his name. He was known for his accuracy and his ability to bowl long spells, which made him a formidable bowler for the Indian team.
4. Erapalli Prasanna
Erapalli Prasanna is one of the legendary Indian off-spin bowlers. The Karnataka born made his international debut for India in 1962 and featured in 49 Tests wherein he scalped 189 wickets. He was one of the most successful spinners in world cricket in the 70s.
5. Srinivas Venkataraghavan
Srinivas Venkataraghavan an off-spinner played for India for 18 long years between 1965-1983. He ended his Test career with 156 Test wickets and holds the record for dismissing all the eleven batters in a match, a feat he achieved in a Test match against New Zealand at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi in 1965.
6. R Ashwin
R Ashwin is considered one of the great minds in the game. He made his international debut for India in 2010 and has been a mainstay in the national team for more than a decade. He is known for his ability to take wickets with his carrom ball and his aggressive attitude on the field.
7. Bapu Nadkarni
Bapu Nadkarni is considered to be one of the greatest left-arm spin bowlers to ever play the game of cricket. He made his international debut for India in 1955 and went on to play for the national team for 12 years. He was known for his accuracy and his ability to bowl tight spells, which made him a crucial member of the Indian team.
8. Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar was a leg-spin bowler and a capable batter as well. He made his international debut for India in 1964 and went on to play for the national team for 12 years. He was known for his ability to take wickets with his leg-spin bowling and his aggressive attitude on the field.
9. Subhash Gupte
Subhash Gupte was a leg spin bowler. He made his international debut for India in 1951 and went on to play for the national team for 8 years. He scalped 149 wickets from 36 matches for India in Test cricket.
10. Narendra Hirwani
Narendra Hirwani was a leg-spin bowler who represented India in both ODI and Test cricket from 1988 to 1996. He made his international debut for India in 1988 and went on to play for the national team for 8 years. Talking about his numbers, he took 66 wickets from 17 Test matches and 23 ODI wickets from 18 games.