India is a cricket-crazy nation where the players are amongst the most popular figures in the country. Ever since India won the ODI World Cup in 1983, fans began following the game rather religiously. Following Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s World Cup wins in 1992 and 1996, respectively, cricket has emerged as the single most popular sport in the subcontinent.
However, cricket in India is different from any other part of the world. Being part of a major tournament win, delivering a great performance in an IPL season, captaining the Indian team or an IPL franchise, and being a proven individual performer – all of these turn players into household names. They are popular for a reason and can be regarded as the top cricketers in the country.
Here are Team India’s top 5 active players, and the reason behind their popularity:
5. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill is popular for his 2023 season. That year, he was the highest run-scorer in ODIs and had one of the greatest campaigns for a batter in the history of the IPL. In ODIs, Gill established himself during the 2022–23 period. In 2023, the star batter scored 1,584 runs in 29 innings at an impressive average of 63.36. In 2024, Gill became the skipper of the Gujarat Titans.
In IPL 2023, Gill amassed a whopping 890 runs in 17 innings at an average of 59.33 and a strike rate of 157.80, including three hundreds and four fifties. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the season. Recently, Gill was appointed as India’s Test captain, following the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, which has further contributed to his popularity.
