Indian transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar, daughter of former India all-rounder and coach Sanjay Bangar, has written a letter to the BCCI and the ICC, claiming a sensitive and scientific approach to the participation of transgender in women's cricket.

In this letter, she has cited an 8-week international research based on the effects of hormone therapy on her athletic performance. Through this letter, Anaya has expressed her desire to play for the women's cricket team.

Also Read: ICC ODI Rankings: Smriti Mandhana reclaims world No. 1 spot for the first time in six years

Anaya shared the letter on social media

Anaya Bangar shared the screenshot of the letter on her Instagram and wrote, "This letter comes from a place of love for the game and belief in fairness. I have reached out to BCCI and ICC, trusting that dialogue and science can work together."

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A post shared by Anaya Bangar (@anayabangar)

Through a powerful statement on social media, Anaya made her stance clear: she is not seeking sympathy or special treatment, but rather fairness rooted in medical science and transparency. Her decision to go public with her medical documentation and transition journey has sparked widespread dialogue on how sports organizations across the world are handling gender identity and athlete eligibility.

'This is not a political statement'

Anaya’s message was more than just personal, it was a call to action. She stated that restrictive policies based on outdated assumptions about transgender women have unfairly limited athletes like her from progressing in their careers, despite undergoing medical transition and receiving professional clearance.

“This is not a political statement,” Anaya wrote. “It is a scientifically-backed request to center data over fear, evidence over assumption, and transparency over speculation.”

She expressed deep frustration over how the system continues to marginalize transgender athletes by not updating rules in accordance with modern medical standards. Her plea aims to bring fairness into the regulatory framework, allowing athletes to compete based on real physiological data rather than rigid gender binaries.

What Anaya's asking from BCCI and ICC

In her statement, Anaya laid out a clear, respectful, and constructive roadmap for how cricket’s governing bodies can lead the way in creating inclusive yet competitive sports environments. She called upon the BCCI and ICC to take the following steps: 

Open a transparent, informed dialogue on the inclusion of transgender women in women’s cricket, grounded in up-to-date medical science, performance analysis, and ethical principles.

Also Read: ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 Full Schedule announced; India to face Pakistan on October 5

Consider sport-specific eligibility criteria, such as minimum hormone therapy durations, testosterone suppression timelines, haemoglobin thresholds, and physical performance benchmarks to ensure a level playing field.

Engage medical experts, legal advisors, athletes, and inclusion advocates in developing a clear policy that balances fairness with equal opportunity.

She emphasized that inclusion does not mean ignoring competitiveness, it means measuring it responsibly and transparently.

Her appeal stands as a reminder that sports must evolve with time. As debates on gender inclusion intensify globally across various sports, Anaya Bangar has positioned herself as a voice for a new era one that celebrates both fairness and inclusion, without compromise.

Cricket's biggest tournaments bring together the best teams from around the world. From the fast-paced T20 format to the longest format of the game, each trophy is a huge achievement in international cricket.

Our list will provide you with the statistical breakdown of every ICC tournament, highlighting the teams that have dominated the cricket world across men's and women's competition, as well as the Under-19 category.

Check out the ICC trophy winners list year-wise (2000-2025):

ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (ODI)

Australia dominated the ICC ODI World Cup with 4 titles in 6 seasons from 2000-2025. They are the current champion side that defeated the host nation, India, on their home soil in the 2023 finals.

Here's the complete list of trophy winners:

Read Also: Indian Cricketers with Most ICC Titles

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

India holds the current title of the ICC T20 World Cup. They, along with England and the West Indies, won the title 2 times from 2000 to 2025. India defeated South Africa in a thrilling final match to reign as champions in 2024.

Here's the complete list of trophy winners (2000-2025):

ICC Champions Trophy (ODI)

Another ICC tournament where India has done exceptionally well with the most number of titles (3) from 2000 to 2025. They are also the current champions of the 2025 season, where they dominated the entirety of it, and eventually lifted the cup after a phenomenal victory over New Zealand.

Here's the list of trophy winners:

ICC World Test Championship

Inaugurated in 2019, the ICC World Test Championship was designed to award the supremacy of cricket's longest format. South Africa made history by winning the 2023-25 WTC cycle and breaking their ICC trophy drought.

Here's the list of trophy winners:

Read Also: Best figures in ICC WTC Final

ICC Men's Under-19 Cricket World Cup (ODI)

India won the most titles in Under-19 World Cup history with 5 titles to their name. The Australian side is the current champion, who won the 2024 edition, clinching their 4th title of this tournament.

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup (ODI)

Australia are the most successful team with 7 titles overall, and 3 titles in the span of 2000 to 2025. Led by legendary players like Margaret Jennings, Sharon Tredrea, Lyn Larsen, and Meg Lanning, the Australian side has been unparalleled.

Here's the list of trophy winners:

Read Also: Pratika Rawal becomes the fastest to reach 500 ODI runs in women's cricket.

ICC Women's T20 World Cup

ICC Women's T20 World Cup is a relatively new tournament, with the first edition being held in 2019. Out of the 9 seasons played so far, Australia stood victorious in 6 of them. However, New Zealand broke their winning streak by emerging as champions of the 2024 season. 

Read Also: Top 10 fastest centuries in Women's T20Is

ICC UNDER-19 WOMEN'S T20 WORLD CUP

ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup is the newest among all the tournaments held by the International Cricket Council, inaugurated in 2023. India has won both the 2023 and 2025 seasons and has purely dominated the WC.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is cricket’s global governing body, overseeing various prestigious tournaments. These include the ICC Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, and the World Test Championship. The ICC tournaments are considered the most prestigious in cricket, and players strive to lift the trophies.

India have always had the services of the best players. And thanks to them, India have been a consistent force in world cricket. The same consistency is visible in the ICC tournaments. This has helped the Indian team win seven ICC trophies over the years. A few players have been part of several of these victorious campaigns.

Also Read: Most Centuries in World Cup History

So, let's take a look at the Indian Cricketers with Most ICC Titles.

Indian Cricketers with Most ICC Titles

6. Harbhajan Singh | 3 Titles

• 2002 Champions Trophy (shared with Sri Lanka)
• 2007 T20 World Cup
• 2011 Cricket World Cup

Having started his career in 1998, Harbhajan Singh is one of the few Indian cricketers to have won all three ICC white-ball titles. 

He was part of India's 2002 ICC Champions Trophy title-winning campaign, where they were joint winners with Sri Lanka. Five years later, he played a key role in India's triumph in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, in 2007. He was also a part of India's 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad.

5. Yuvraj Singh | 3 Titles

• 2002 Champions Trophy (shared with Sri Lanka)
• 2007 T20 World Cup
• 2011 Cricket World Cup

One of India's greatest all-rounders, Yuvraj Singh has also won all three ICC white-ball tournaments. He was part of the teams that won the 2002 Champions Trophy, 2007 T20 World Cup, and 2011 ODI World Cup.

In the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yuvraj was the Player of the Tournament for his stellar all-round performance. He made history in the 2007 T20I World Cup by hitting six sixes in an over against England.

4. Ravindra Jadeja | 3 Titles

• 2013 Champions Trophy
• 2024 T20 World Cup
• 2025 Champions Trophy

After India lifted the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, Ravindra Jadeja went level with Dhoni. The star all-rounder now has three ICC trophies.

Before the latest win, Jadeja was part of another Champions Trophy victory in 2013. He picked up the most wickets in that tournament to win the Golden Ball. Fast forward to 11 years, and Jadeja found himself in the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad. After this, he retired from T20I cricket.

3. MS Dhoni | 3 Titles

• 2007 T20 World Cup
• 2011 Cricket World Cup
• 2013 Champions Trophy

MS Dhoni was the first Indian player to win three ICC trophies. Interestingly, he won all three of them as skipper. Under Dhoni’s leadership, India had a successful run in limited-overs. And he showed a glimpse of his tactical acumen early in his captaincy stint.

Captain Cool guided a young team to the inaugural T20 World Cup victory in 2007. Then he followed it with the ODI World Cup triumph in 2011. And Dhoni completed the ICC ODI tournament trophy with the Champions Trophy win in 2013.

2. Rohit Sharma | 4 Titles

• 2007 T20 World Cup
• 2013 Champions Trophy
• 2024 T20 World Cup
• 2025 Champions Trophy

Rohit Sharma is level with Kohli when it comes to ICC trophy victories. The current Indian captain has won two of the four titles while leading the Indian team. Before that, he was part of the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. 

Then, alongside Kohli, he took India to the Champions Trophy victory in 2013. Rohit repeated the feat in 2024 and 2025, but this time as a captain. He guided the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup win in 2024, followed by the Champions Trophy triumph in 2025.

Also Read: Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar – Test Stats Compared: Can Root break Sachin's record

1. Virat Kohli | 4 Titles

• 2011 Cricket World Cup
• 2013 Champions Trophy
• 2024 T20 World Cup
• 2025 Champions Trophy

Virat Kohli has been a proven match-winner for India. And the same is true when it comes to ICC events. The top-order batter hardly fails to perform in these high-stakes tournaments. He has powered the team to many wins, including four ICC title victories.

Kohli managed to land his hands on an ICC trophy for the first time in 2011. He was part of the 2011 World Cup squad that defeated Sri Lanka in the final at home. Two years later, he was on the podium yet again as India won the Champions Trophy in England. But then Kohli had to endure a decade’s wait to add the third title. He helped India win the T20 World Cup in 2024 before clinching his fourth silverware in 2025 as India landed the Champions Trophy.

The ICC men’s ODI World Cup has witnessed some of the greatest batters exhibiting their best in the quest for world glory. The World Cup is watched by millions of viewers across the globe, all thanks to the incredibly entertaining cricket action.

World Cup allows players to display their talents to the fullest, but oftentimes, players perform at a whole other level. Teams have exceeded 400 runs on the scorecard, batsmen have hit double centuries, and bowlers have dismissed entire teams for double-digit totals.

The World Cup has seen its share of highs and lows, but today, we take a look at the individual record for most centuries. So, let's take a look at the batters with most centuries in World Cup history.

Also Read: Youngest Indian cricketers to score an international century

Most Centuries in World Cup

6. Ricky Ponting | 5

Ricky Ponting also scored 5 centuries in World Cup history. In a glorious career spanning 46 World Cup matches between 1996 and 2011, he notched 1,743 runs.

His best score during this period was 140 not out. Under ponting's leadership, Australia bagged three World Cup titles.

5. Virat Kohli | 5

Virat Kohli has scored five centuries in World Cups across 36 innings. He played his first ever ODI World Cup in 2011 and has been a part of every squad that played the following World Cups.

In 2011, on his World Cup debut, Kohli scored a century. His next century came in 2015 against Pakistan. But it was in the 2023 World Cup that Kohli was at his absolute best, scoring three centuries. He is overall the second-highest run scorer in World Cups, with 1795 runs.

4. Kumar Sangakkara | 5

Kumar Sangakkara is the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in ODI cricket history. Not just that, he has also scored the most centuries by a Sri Lankan player at the World Cup.

In 37 World Cup matches, Sangakkara scored five centuries, which were a part of the 1532 runs he scored in World Cups at an average of 56.74.

3. Sachin Tendulkar | 6

There is nearly no World Cup batting record of which Sachin Tendulkar is not a part. Tendulkar, who played six World Cups in his career, smashed six centuries in 44 innings. Sachin is also the top run-scorer in World Cup history, having amassed 2278 runs in 45 matches.

2011, when India broke their 28-year losing streak, was Sachin’s last World Cup. He also holds the record for the most fifties in World Cup history, with a total of 15 of them.

2. David Warner | 6

Australia’s destructive opening batsman David Warner comes second on this list. Warner has played every World Cup starting from the 2015 edition, and has scored six centuries in 29 innings. Two of these centuries came in the 2023 World Cup in India.

Overall from 2015 to 2023, he has scored 1527 runs in 29 games. His top score is 178 runs which came in the 2015 World Cup clash against Afghanistan. 

Also Read: Most Test Wins by a Team since 2010

1. Rohit Sharma | 7

Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma tops the list of most centuries in World Cup history. Rohit has scored a total of 7 centuries in World Cup history so far.

In a brilliant performance during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, Rohit Sharma shattered his 7th century against Afghanistan. Rohit has scored 1575 runs in 28 innings from 2015 to 2023, in which his best score has been 140 runs.

Free kicks or set pieces are one of the most effective methods to score a goal. However, it is also the hardest thing in football. But be it from outside the box or 30 yards from the box, free-kicks are one of the most beautiful things to watch in football when done correctly.

In this article, today we will list the player with the most free-kick goals in football history. 

Who has scored the most free-kick goals?

This is a regular question asked in football quizzes. To give your answer, it is Juninho Pernambucano from Brazil who has scored the most free-kick goals. He has scored 77 free-kick goals in his career.

Most Free-Kick Goals: Messi or Ronaldo?

Whenever one discusses any football record, you can not leave Messi and Ronaldo out of it. At least, the fans can not leave it out. So, who has scored the most free-kick goals? Messi or Ronaldo?

Lionel Messi has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the most free-kick goals scored. Messi now has 66 free-kick goals, whereas Cristiano has 64 free-kick goals.

Read Also: Messi vs Ronaldo: Longest goal-scoring streak

If we break down the records of both Messi and Ronaldo, Messi has only 5 Champions League goals from the dead ball, and Ronaldo has 12. Messi has scored 57 free-kick goals in his club career, while Ronaldo has 53 against his name.

Read Also: 10 Most FA Cup Winners List: FA Cup in detail

Most Free-kick goals in the Premier League

The Premier League is said to be one of the toughest places to play football. Many greats have failed in the Premier League; however, many have flourished in the league as a legend of the game.

David Beckham has scored the most goals by a free-kick in Premier League history. He has scored as many as 18 times from the dead ball in his Premier League career.

Here is the list of players with the most free-kick goals in the Premier League-

1. David Beckham - 18 goals
2. James Ward-Prowse - 17 goals
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 12 goals
4. Thierry Henry - 12 goals
5. Gianfranco Zola - 12 goals

Read Also: Most Free-Kick Goals In Premier League

Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History

#1 Juninho Pernambucano - 77 free-kick goals

Known as the magnificent 7, Juninho was the best when it came to scoring from a dead-ball situation. The former Olympique Lyonnais legend and midfielder scored as many as 77 goals from set-pieces. Juninho is considered the greatest free-kick taker of all time.

He was also the inventor of the knuckle-ball technique shoots as well.

#2 Pele - 70 free-kick goals

The king of football, Pele, has scored 70 goals from set pieces. Pele could bend the ball both ways with fierce power.

Moreover, his immense game knowledge to out-think the goalkeeper helped him net the ball more often than not. The Brazilian striker's 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which include friendlies, are recognised as a Guinness World Record.

#3 Lionel Messi: 68 Free-kick goals

There is hardly any top 10 attacking list or record in football where you will not find the Argentine maestro, Lionel Messi. Although before 2014, Messi was not considered prolific from the dead ball, he has just proved everyone wrong with his free-kick record since then.

Till now, the Argentinian legend has scored 68 free-kick goals. 57 of those have come for the clubs he has played and 11 for Argentina.

More than that, Messi now has scored a free-kick in every 16.3 match, which speaks volumes for his accuracy from the deadball position.

Different stage. Same act.@InterMiamiCF | #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/uXOGMXcu5N

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 19, 2025

#4 Víctor Legrotaglie - 66 free-kick goals

The Argentine from the 1970s is considered to be the greatest player in Mendoza football. Along with his stunning shooting ability, Victor was known for his 12 Olympic Goals for Argentina as well. There is a stadium named after him in Argentina.

#5 Ronaldinho- 66 free-kick goals

The magician from Brazil was brilliant from any position. Ronaldinho had everything as a footballer. Hence, having the skill to net the ball from a distance was also in his armoury. The Brazilian legend scored 66 goals from set-pieces in his career.

Also Read: Top 10 highest scoring midfielders in the 21st century: Football facts

#6 David Beckham: 65 Free-kick goals

The famous phrase, "Bend it like Beckham", suggests how good Beckham was when it came to scoring from a free-kick. Beckham scored 65 goals from set-pieces in his career. His free-kick to take England to the 2002 FIFA World Cup is still cherished as one of the best moments in English football.

Read Also: Erling Haaland: Top 10 fastest to 20 UEFA Champions League goals

#7 Cristiano Ronaldo - 64 free-kick goals

With his latest free-kick goal in the Saudi Pro League 2024 against Al-Fayha FC, Ronaldo has now moved to the seventh position in the most free-kick goals list. The Portuguese legend now has 64 free-kick goals against his name. With this free-kick goal, Ronaldo now has scored a free-kick goal every season since 2003-04.

Ronaldo till now has scored 53 free-kick goals for the clubs he has featured for and 11 for his national team, Portugal. He has now scored a free-kick in every 20.0 games.

#8 Diego Maradona- 62 free-kick goals

The legend of Argentine football is one of the best in the history of the game. Maradona scored nearly 20% of his career goals with free-kicks. His free-kick against Juventus for Napoli is known as the 'Divine Free-Kick'. Diego scored 62 goals from set pieces in his career.

#9 Zico - 62 free-kick goals

Brazilian legend Zico scored 62 free-kick goals in his career. He was very accurate in his shooting skills. Zico is considered one of the world's best players of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The attacking midfielder was very accurate with his kicks. Along with his accuracy, his languid run-up was very famous in his era.

Read Also: Defenders who have won the Ballon d'Or award

#10 Ronald Koeman- 60 goals

The former Barcelona player and manager is known as one of the highest-scoring defenders of all time. The Dutch defensive midfielder also had his share of success with Ajax.

Koeman has scored nearly 25% of his goals with free-kicks. He is one of the high-scoring defenders in his era. Koeman scored 215 goals in his career and is one of the highest-scoring defenders ever.

#11 Rogerio Ceni - 59 goals

To the shock of everyone, Ceni was a goalkeeper and he has scored 59 goals from dead-ball situations in his career. Ceni is the highest-scoring goalkeeper in the history of the game. He has scored 131 goals in his career.

Except for one goal, all of them came from penalties and free-kicks. The Brazilian played for 25 years, most of that for São Paulo.

Read Also: Goals by Goalkeepers: Top 5 Highest scoring goalkeepers

12. Marcelinho - 59 goals

Marcelinho is nicknamed "Pé-de-Anjo" for his accuracy with free-kicks. The attacking midfielder from Brazil has collected more trophies with Corinthians than any other player in their history. However, Marcelinho failed to feature in any World Cup matches for Brazil. Marcelinho has 505 goals in his career.

One is called the God of Cricket, and the other is perhaps the greatest test batter of his generation. Both Sachin Tendulkar and Joe Root have contributed to test cricket in their own way.

Since Root started his incredible run with the bat in 2021, everyone started the Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar comparison in test cricket. Some even suggested that the former English captain might even break Sachin Tendulkar's test record as well. 

Before India take on England in another mouthwatering five-test match series, we will try to analyse whose test career is better. Is it Joe Root or Sachin Tendulkar? Who is better in test cricket? 

Sachin Tendulkar in test cricket - in numbers

Even before we get into comparing the players, we need to get the numbers right. 

Sachin, the highest run-getter in test and international cricket, scored 15921 test runs in a record 200 test matches. The Indian legend averaged 53.78 and also scored 51 test tons, which is also a record. 

Read Also | 16 Indian Cricketers with stands named after them at a stadium

Debuted at the age of 16, soon, Sachin soon became the then second youngest ever test centurion at the age of 17 years 107 days old. Sachin created that record when he smashed an unbeaten 119 against England in Manchester in 1990. 

He is still the youngest Indian to score an international ton. 

Other records Sachin has in his test career: 

• Most fours in test cricket (2058)
• Most fifties in test cricket (119)
• Fastest to 10000, 13000, 14000, 15000 test runs
• The only batter to surpass the mark of 14000 and 15000 test runs
• 3rd most test innings without a duck (91)
• 2nd most test hundreds in a calendar year (7 in 2010)

Read Also | The Most Memorable Test Centuries in Cricket History

Joe Root in test cricket - in numbers

Part of the modern fav-four in cricket, Joe Root debuted in 2012 against India and announced himself with a gritty 73 from 229 balls.

In his sixth test, he scored his first test hundred against New Zealand and then two tests later, he smashed a 180 against the Aussies at Lord's. 

With 13006, he is the fifth-highest run scorer in test cricket history. He is the highest international and test scorer for England. Moreover, he is also the batter with the most test tons and runs among active batters in world cricket. 

Root till now has played only 153 test matches and has a batting average of 50.80. Since the start of 2022, Root has scored 13 test tons, scoring 3475 runs at an average of 53.46. He is also the highest run scorer in World Test Championship history. 

Other records Root has in his test career:

• 3rd most test runs in a calendar year (1708, in 2021)
• 5th most test hundreds (36)
• 6th most test hundreds in a calendar year (6 in 2021)
• Most fifties in consecutive test matches (12)
• 4th most test fifties (101)

Root vs Sachin in Test Cricket: Comparison

Sachin currently has a lead over Joe Root in every aspect of numbers in test cricket. The master blaster has better records than Root in test cricket.

But to compare them, we will have to compare them with the current number of matches Root has played so far.

Sachin after 153 test matches 

Runs: 12152

Innings: 250

Average: 54.25

100s: 39

50s: 51

Highest: 248*

Sachin in wins after 153 tests: 

Won: 48 tests

Runs: 4011

Average: 62.67

100s: 13

50s: 16

Root after 153 test matches

Runs: 13006

Innings: 279

Average: 50.80

100s: 36

50s: 65

Highest: 262

Root in wins after 153 test matches:

Wins: 70 tests

Runs: 6999

Average: 64.21

100s: 25

50s: 28

So, if we compare Sachin's record to Joe Root's after 153 test matches, we can see that Root is leading the chart with more runs and more fifties. But, Sachin has a better batting average, more hundreds. 

However, in 153 test matches, Root won 70 test matches for England while Sachin had only won 48 test matches as a player. Although their batting averages in winning causes are nearly the same, Root has scored nearly 3000 more test runs on winning occasions for England. 

Bonus: Did you know who was ahead after 145 test matches each for Sachin and Root? 

Can Root catch Sachin in test cricket?

Although Joe Root has scored the most test runs if we compare their stats after 153 test matches, Sachin played nearly five years after playing his 153rd test match in 2008. 

Not only that, in those next 47 test matches he played for India, he scored 3769 runs at an average of 52.34 with 12 tons.

Root is currently 34, and can stretch his career for at least 4-5 years if he can stay fit. With the number of test matches England play every season, there is a certain possibility that Root can end up playing more than 200 test matches in his career. 

Even if he plays 47 more test matches and bats at least 75 innings, he would need 2915 test runs at an average of 38.87. 

With the current form Joe Root is in, this is quite possible for him to get. But, will he be able to keep the form like Sachin had done at the age of 35 and after? That's the question the World Cricket will be eyeing.