With cricket being a religion in India, there is no shortage of talent when it comes to bat and ball in the country. The Indian national team has enjoyed tremendous success in the recent past in all formats of the game.
Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni became global icons with their performances on the pitch. But who are some of cricket’s biggest stars who have Indian roots?
Here is a list of Indian origin cricketers who achieved great success for other countries.
Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla is arguably one of Test cricket’s greatest ever batsmen. The South African legend hails from a Muslim family that traces its origins in Gujarat, India. One of the most prolific batsmen of his era, he became South Africa’s first permanent non-white skippers.
Nasser Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain was born in Chennai, India to a Shia Muslim family. His father was Raza Jawad ‘Joe’ Hussain who played first-class cricket for Tamil Nadu. Hussain later revealed in his autobiography that his family gave up a ‘prosperous’ life in India nad moved to England to vail the benefits of the English education system.
Muttiah Muralitharan
Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s roots lie in Chennai, India. It is believed that an extended part of his family still resides in the city. His grandparents moved to Sri Lanka in search for work. They returned after a few years, however, his father stayed back.
Murali’s Chennai connection became deeper after he married Madhimalar Ramamurthy who is a native of the city.
Rohan Kanhai
This is a name that you probably have never heard in your life but Rohan Kanhai is one of the sports’ early legends. Having made his debut for the West Indies in 1957, Kanhai captained the Windies in Tests and was also their first ever ODI skipper. Kanhai enjoyed success for nearly two decades before calling it quits in 1974.
PNN