From Virat Kohli To Kapil Dev: 8 Legendary Cricketers Who Skipped Education To Chase Their Cricket Dreams
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India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, dropped out of college midway to concentrate on cricket. His bold decision helped rewrite Indian cricket history when he led the team to its first-ever World Cup triumph. Rahul Dravid
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Rahul Dravid had the opportunity to pursue an MBA but chose cricket instead. His commitment to the sport earned him the nickname 'The Wall' and a legendary status in Indian cricket. Sachin Tendulkar
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Regarded as the "God of Cricket," Sachin Tendulkar left formal education at the age of 16 to focus entirely on cricket. His decision shaped the future of Indian cricket, with a record-breaking career that remains unmatched. MS Dhoni
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Before becoming one of India's most successful captains, MS Dhoni enrolled for a B.Com degree in Ranchi. However, he could not complete his studies as his cricketing journey quickly escalated, taking priority over academics. Shikhar Dhawan
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Shikhar Dhawan completed his school education but never pursued a college degree. His early selection for India's national team and consistent performances at the domestic level kept him rooted in the sport from a young age. Virat Kohli
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India's modern-day batting giant, Virat Kohli, completed his schooling up to Class 12. Post that, he did not pursue college education, instead channeling his energy into cricket, a decision that eventually led him to captain the Indian team across formats. Hardik Pandya
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Hardik Pandya had to leave school after Class 9 due to financial difficulties. Despite the challenges, his unwavering passion and talent for cricket helped him rise through the ranks to become one of India's most dynamic all-rounders. Shubman Gill
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Shubman Gill focused on his cricketing dreams early in life. He studied only until Class 10 before leaving academics behind to commit fully to cricket. His dedication paid off when he was selected for India's U-19 team at just 17.
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Indian Express
8 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Mission (im) possible: KL Rahul, Shubman Gill battle hard to give India a chance to save fourth Test
A few days back, Indian captain Shubman Gill was asked about the one thing about the new job that surprised him. He would smile and say that he doesn't get tired much as he mostly fields around the pitch but he does get mentally drained at the end of the day. So, after leading his deflated side for 157.1 overs, handling a bowling unit not sticking to plans and battling thoughts of a hard-fought series slipping, Shubman would have been mentally knackered at the end of the England innings. And just as he would have put his leg up in the dressing room, he had to rush back on to the field. The score was 0/2, Chris Woakes was on a hat-trick, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and No.3 Sai Sudharsan were back in the hut. After the worst couple of days of his captaincy, Gill was facing the toughest as skipper. It helped he had with him the calmest mind who was playing the tightest cricket on the tour, KL Rahul. In a partnership of epic proportions, Shubman and Rahul compiled an unbeaten 174, also India's total at stumps to revive a Test that looked lost and a series that seemed over. 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟒: 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐮𝐨 🤜🤛#KLRahul (87* off 210) and #ShubmanGill (78* off 167) stood strong on Day 4, digging India out of early trouble with a composed and crucial partnership under pressure 🔥 Catch the HIGHLIGHTS of Day 4 ➡ 👉… — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 26, 2025 Trailing by 311 runs and 0/2, the Test seemed irredeemable. Most teams would have given up, most captains would have thrown in the towel but not this one. After playing for two full sessions, facing 317 balls, Shubman (87) and Rahul (78) had given hope when all seemed lost. This is shaping into a partnership that can be compared to the Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman partnership of 2001. In case India can stick around for one more day, this could go down as a Test recovery for ages. There are just two possible results – 'the more likely' England win and after the solid Rahul-Shubman show, the 'not quite impossible' India draw. India has ensured this remains an unputdownable series. Rains are expected on the final day of the Test but so will be an overcast sky. There have been no easy days on this tour and they come with the promise of exciting cricket. Rahul with his methodical play and Test match technique could be expected to play controlled cricket but Shubman's inning came as a refreshing surprise for its sheer tenacity – a rare virtue in Indian cricket. After spending every ounce of his energy trying to figure out ways to get the English batsmen out for the team, Shubman now with a bat in hand had to fight an individual battle. In the last three innings – twice at Lord's and in the first innings here – he has gotten out trying to dead-bat or leave the balls coming into him. At Lord's he was caught behind while negotiating the ball in the corridor by Chris Woakes, and in the next inning he was hit on the knee roll by Brydon Carse and was out lbw. Here Stokes had bowled the same line and length, Shubman had shouldered arms to a ball that DRS showed was hitting his stumps. This has been an old Shubman problem and England has been repeatedly exploiting it. Woakes and Jofra Archer both would test the Indian captain with good length balls on the off-stump with a few surprise yorkers thrown in for variety. Shubman would be tentative initially – not sure to take the stride forward to meet the ball or leave it. This must have been the most harrowing time for the Indian dressing room. A ball a millimeter close or the bat a shade closer would result in an edge flying behind the stumps. That was how close India was from losing a series. KL 🤝 GILL A batting masterclass from @klrahul & @ShubmanGill bails #TeamIndia out of early trouble! 💪 The highest 3rd-wicket partnership of the series! 🙌🏻#ENGvIND 👉 4th TEST, DAY 4 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 26, 2025 From both the ends, England would attack Shubman with a barrage of nipbackers. Woakes with the talent of moving the ball in the air and Jofra Archer with the ability to make the ball come in sharply seemed close to wickets and were difficult to deal with. An early end to the game, an innings defeat to India on Day 4 was the most predicted outcome of this Test. In Jofra's second over, there were a couple of big appeals. First a Jofra late swinger would hit Gill on his boot, once again not sure about the stride forward. The skipper would survive as even technology was inconclusive. In the same over there was another appeal, once again Shubman was beaten on the front foot, since the ball was moving in too sharply they would avoid taking the DRS. It was in this crunch situation, while handling a personal and team crisis, that Shubman found a way to reset his batting technique, got hold of some spanner to tighten a few screws and grease some joints. Almost miraculously, he looked like a different batsman. There was the smooth transfer of weight and there was surety in his stride. This was a man refusing to give in, and a batsman who when troubled, not panicking but delving deep in the recesses of the mind to find a way to survive. He also was playing much straighter now. There were a couple of straight drives – one off Woakes and the other off Brydon Carse – that went racing to the sight screen from both sides of the stumps. On the second one, the graceful stroke-maker held his pose. This was a signal that he had dealt with that tough period of play. When on 48, luck too smiled on the brave captain. In a minor glitch in concentration, the India No.4 would try to over-reach for a Carse ball in the channel. He would edge to Liam Dawson at point, the ball would hit his hand but he couldn't catch it. 'Every batsman, at some stage of their life, changes the way they bat in Test cricket. Subman seems to be doing that brilliantly in England,' India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said. While Shubman was dealing with his demons, Rahul was a picture of composure. He was playing close to the body, meeting the ball late and moving away from the short balls. After the outside the off-stump bowling didn't give results, Stokes moved his troops on the other side of the field. For most of the final session, England bowled short balls on the body and placed four fielders square and behind the wicket. Rahul negated the ploy solidly. He wouldn't go for the pull but would bring the ball down. Now it was Stokes' turn to get frustrated. 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The Hindu
11 minutes ago
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Women's EURO 2025: Lauren James' return boosts England ahead of final against Spain
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India.com
37 minutes ago
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Top 10 Players With Most Hundreds In Tests: Sachin Tendulkar Leads, Joe Root Equals Kumar Sangakkara; Ricky Ponting At…
photoDetails english 2937473 Updated:Jul 26, 2025, 11:48 PM IST 1. Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 51 Centuries 1 / 10 Sachin Tendulkar, who is arguably the greatest batter ever, holds the record for scoring most centuries (51) in Test cricket. He is also the highest run-scorer in Test history with 15,921 runs. 2. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 45 Centuries 2 / 10 Jacques Kallis, one of cricket's greatest all-rounders, scored second most centuries (45) in Test cricket. Kallis scored 13,289 runs and took 292 wickets, which is a rare feat for an all-rounder. 3. Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 41 Centuries 3 / 10 Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting is third in the list with 41 Test centuries. With 13,378 runs, Ponting is Australia's second-highest Test run-scorer after Allan Border. 4. Joe Root (England) - 38* Centuries 4 / 10 Former England captain Joe Root has now hit 38 centuries in Test cricket so far. He has also become the second highest run-getter in Test cricket and is chasing Sachin Tendulkar's tally now. 5. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 38 Centuries 5 / 10 Kumar Sangakkara, one of Sri Lanka's finest batters, scored 38 centuries with an impressive batting average of 57.40. Known for his elegant cover drives and wristy flicks, Sangakkara scored 12,400 runs in Test cricket. 6. Steve Smith (Australia) - 36 Centuries 6 / 10 Steve Smith has scored 36 centuries in Test cricket so far. Given his batting quality, Smith is likely to climb higher on the list of Test centuries. 7. Rahul Dravid (India) - 36 Centuries 7 / 10 Rahul Dravid, known as "The Wall" for his resolute defense, scored 36 centuries in Test cricket. His ability to play long, match-saving innings was crucial for India in Test cricket. 8. Younis Khan (Pakistan) - 34 Centuries 8 / 10 Pakistan batter Younis Khan hit 34 centuries in Test centuries. He was one of the biggest match-winners for Pakistan in Test cricket during his playing days. 9. Sunil Gavaskar (India) - 34 Centuries 9 / 10 Sunil Gavaskar, who was the first batter to cross 10,000 Test runs, scored 34 centuries. His technical prowess was unmatched and he faced fearsome pace attacks in the pre-helmet era. 10. Brian Lara (West Indies) - 34 Centuries 10 / 10 West Indies batting great Brian Lara scored 34 centuries in Test cricket. Notably, Lara also holds the record for the highest individual Test score (400* against England in 2004).
