Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has requested Gary Kirsten to comeback and coach Indian men's cricket team once again. Garry, who is currently the coach of Pakistan men's cricket team, stated that, "There is no unity in Pakistan team." 

After two defeats against USA and India in the T20 World Cup 2024 and a washed out match against Canada, Pakistan could not advance to the super 8 of the tournament.

Following the defeat, Gary Kristen told Geo Show, "There's no unity in Pakistan team, They call it a team, but it isn't a team. They aren't supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I've worked with many teams, but I've never seen such a situation." 

After this statement from the former Indian team head coach, Harbhajan tweeted saying he wanted to see Kirsten as the head coach of the Indian team again. 

"Don’t waste ur time there Gary .. Come back to Coach Team INDIA .. Gary Kirsten One of the rare 💎.. A Great Coach ,Mentor, Honest nd very dear friend to all in the our 2011 Team .. our winning coach of 2011 worldcup . Special man Gary ❤️," Harbhajan tweeted.

Gary had coached the Indian cricket team from 2008 to 2011 and helped India win the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2011 after a gap of 28 years. Since then, Gary was coaching IPL teams like Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers and Gujarat Titans. 

Even he won the IPL trophy with Gujarat Titans in 2022. Currently, he only coaches Pakistan cricket team in white ball formats and signed the contract with PCB for a short term period. 

In India, cricket and films have great admirers across the country, and time and again, we saw how cricketers begin their second innings with the silver screen. There are not just one but many players of Team India who have acted in films of regional languages ​​including Bollywood. So let's take a look at the top 8 Indian cricketers who acted in movies.

Also Read: Can you name the Indian cricketer who won a National Award in Indian cinema?

Cricketers who acted in movies

8. S. Sreesanth

Former Indian cricketer S Sreesanth was arrested on charges of spot-fixing during IPL and after the ban, the cricketer tried his luck in the acting. From 'Aksar 2' to 'Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal', Sreesanth appeared in five films.

7. Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh, who took 400 wickets in Test cricket and more than 250 wickets in ODI cricket, is one of the top cricketers who acted in movies. Harbhajan was seen in the film 'Bha Ji in Problem', made in the co-production of Akshar Kumar, and 'Friendship'. Apart from this, he was seen in a TV show named 'Roadies Rising'.

6. Vinod Kambli

Former Team India player and Sachin Tendulkar's childhood friend Vinod Kambli has also made his mark on the big screen. Vinod Kambli worked in the film 'Annarth' starring Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty, 'Pal Pal Dil Ke Saat' and 'Bettanagere'. 

5. Shikhar Dhawan

Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan made a cameo appearance in the Bollywood film 'Double XL', and it was a surprise for many for sure. The film features Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead roles.

Also Read: Most Partnership runs for India in all formats

4. Ajay Jadeja 

Team India's former all-rounder player Ajay Jadeja, appeared in several films after retiring from cricket in 2003. He began his film career with the movie 'Khel' and went on to act in films like 'Pal Pal Dil Ke Saath'. Apart from this, he also appeared in the reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

3. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh Yuvraj Singh played a very small role as the voice of a character in the 2008 animated movie, Jumbo. He has worked with his father Yograj Singh in several Punjabi films as a child actor. He played a cameo in a Punjabi movie 'Mehndi Shagna Di' at the age of 11. 

2. Sunil Gavaskar 

Veteran cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who became the first to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, also worked in a Marathi film. The name of this film was 'Savil Premachi'. Apart from this, he was also seen as a guest artist in the Bollywood movie 'Maalamaal' starring Naseeruddin Shah.

Also Read: Most matches played as captain

1. Kapil Dev

Fondly known as the Haryana Hurricane, Kapil Dev, the Indian captain who led the team to a World Cup victory in 1983, has starred in a host of movies including '83', 'Iqbal', 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogii', 'Stumped', and 'Dillagi Yeh Dillagi'.

Former Indian legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh said that Mumbai Indians' decision to bring back all-rounder Hardik Pandya to the franchise as a captain backfired and the team failed to play good cricket throughout the season. The IPL 2024 season was one to forget for five-time champions MI. They brought back Hardik Pandya after a two-year stint with Gujarat Titans. Pandya led Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season in 2022. The MI management decided to replace Rohit Sharma as a captain and it led to massive social media backlash for the franchise and the player.

Read Also: MS Dhoni's stats and record for CSK in IPL

Hardik Pandya's poor stats in the IPL 2024

Pandya was booed in stadiums all over India during Mumbai's matches and the team finished at the bottom of the points table with only four wins. Pandya could not put on a single match-winning performance. In 14 matches, Pandya scored 216 runs at an average of 18.00 and a strike rate of 143.04, with the best score of 46. He also took 11 wickets at a poor average of 35.18 and an expensive economy rate of 10.75.

Former India and MI's spinner Harbhajan Singh said that the decision backfired and led to a lack of unity in the team. He also added that this decision could have been taken a year later. 

"MI has a big team. I have played for it. The management is great and runs the team well. But this decision has backfired. Maybe the thinking was to look for the future. It seems that it did not sit well with the team as they did not look united. It was bound to happen. It pains me to see such a big team, an old team of mine face such poor results. Maybe the timing of the decision was not right. It could have been better had this decision been taken a year later. It is not Hardik's fault, he was captaining well in GT. The duty of the senior players is to keep players united no matter who is the captain. Captains come and go. They did not play like a team," said Harbhajan to ANI.

#WATCH | On Hardik Pandya's captaining Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh says "I have played with Mumbai Indians for 10 years. The team management is great but this decision has backfired them. The management was thinking about the future while… pic.twitter.com/pGNW5gIRF5

— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2024

The fans will expect Pandya to become a different player for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. He has been announced as the vice-captain of the team for the tournament and will lead the team alongside Rohit Sharma. India is in Group A of the T20 World Cup alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and co-hosts USA.

They will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, and then face Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. 

2nd April 2011, a date that Indian Cricket team fans will never forget in their lifetime. That night in Mumbai was wrapped in history as MS Dhoni's men lifted the ICC World Cup 2011 beating Sri Lanka in the final. Indian captain MS Dhoni won the Player of the Match award for his 94 while Gautam Gambhir (97) played one of the greatest knocks of that World Cup. As Indian cricket team fans celebrate the 13th anniversary of India winning the ICC World Cup for the second time in their history, we take a look at all the players who were part of that team which won the title.

1. Virender Sehwag

Sehwag, the deadly opener who hit every first ball of the ICC World Cup 2011 for four in five matches, was unfortunately dismissed for a duck in the final. Lasith Malinga trapped him in front of the wicket in the first over. However, Sehwag played a pivotal role in India reaching the finals as he scored 380 runs at a strike rate of 122.58 in the tournament. Post the World Cup success, Sehwag represented India till 2013 and kept on playing in the Indian Premier League before announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket on 20 October 2015. He was appointed as the mentor of the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2016 and performed the role till 2018. Sehwag now is a commentator and his Hindi commentary is one of the most loved and entertaining things in cricket now. 

2. Sachin Tendulkar 

The God of Indian Cricket, for whom the ICC World Cup 2011 was more special for the players and the fans, who was carried on the shoulders by Virat Kohli and others after the World Cup was India's highest run-getter at the tournament with 482 runs. However, Sachin could only add 18 from 14 balls in the final and was eventually dismissed by Lasith Malinga. Post the World Cup, Sachin played for two more years and then retired on 16 November 2013 after playing his 200th test. Post-retirement Sachin briefly appeared for commentary for Star Sports but mostly avoided public appearances. However, since his retirement, Sachin has been playing the role of a mentor of the Mumbai Indians team.

3. Gautam Gambhir 

Gambhir, the hero of the ICC World Cup final for India, scored the most important 97 runs and built a partnership with Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni after the early dismissal of Sachin and Sehwag in that final. After a successful international and IPL career, Gambhir announced his retirement on December 4, 2018. After that, he appeared as a commentator for Star Sports. Gambhir has served as a Member of Lok Sabha as well from the Indian political party BJP. The stylish southpaw now is a mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. Earlier he served as the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants as well.

4. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, the only active international player from that 2011 ICC World Cup winning team, now is a legend of the game and has taken it to another level. Playing at his first-ever World Cup, Kohli scared a crucial knock of 35 from 49 balls in the final to stitch a partnership with Gautam Gambhir. In that World Cup Kohli scored 282 runs and since then has broken multiple records playing for the "Men in Blue". Kohli now holds the record for most ODI hundreds (50), most T20I runs, most fifties in T20Is, most international man of the series awards and many other records. 

5. MS Dhoni

The captain of that World Cup-winning team is still going strong in the Indian Premier League even at the age of 42. Although the former Indian captain could only score 241 runs in the whole tournament, his unbeaten 97 runs in the final is regarded as one of the most important knocks in Indian cricket history. After retiring from international cricket on 15th August 2020, Dhoni kept on featuring for Chennai Super Kings in Indian Super Kings.

6. Yuvraj Singh 

Yuvraj, one of the most influential white-ball cricketers in Indian Cricket history was the player of the tournament in the 2011 World Cup. Yuvraj scored 362 runs with the bat and also took 15 wickets in the tournament. Post his retirement on 10 June 2019. Yuvraj started his own charity "YouWeCan" in 2015 which went on to become YouWeCan Ventures later. Yuvraj also created his chain of sports academies named Yuvraj Singh Centres of Excellence. He has appeared in the Road Safety World T20 series as well.

7. Suresh Raina 

Raina was another important clog in the Indian team which went on to win the ICC World Cup 2011. He played some crucial knocks during the World Cup along with some outstanding fielding efforts. However, Raina only played in four games in that World Cup. He retired on the same day as MS Dhoni's retirement. Raina now does commentary for Star Sports and also plays some T20 tournaments as well.

8. Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh was one of the key bowlers for the Indian team which won the T20 and ODI World Cup in 2007 and 2011 respectively. Singh took 9 wickets in the 2011 edition of the World Cup at an economy of 4.48. Harbhajan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 24 December 2021. After that, he started playing in occasional T20 tournaments and is an active commentator for Star Sports. 

9. Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan was the joint-highest wicket-taker of the ICC World Cup 2021 with 21 wickets. Khan was top-class throughout the whole tournament and provided breakthroughs whenever MS Dhoni brought him into bowling. Zaheer announced his retirement on  15 October 2015. Before his retirement, in 2014.  Khan founded a fitness and sports company ProSport Fitness and Services. Zaheer currently is the Global Head of Cricket Development at Mumbai Indians. Along with that, he works as a commentator on Star Sports as well.

10. Munaf Patel 

Munaf Patel was one of the unsung heroes of the Indian Cricket team which won the world cup in 2011. In 8 games in the World Cup, Munaf claimed 11 wickets and had an economy rate of 4.55 in the final as well. Patel announced his retirement in November 2018. Though he was seen doing Hindi commentary briefly, Munaf has not been in public in recent years.

11. S.Sreesanth

Sreesanth played only one match in the ICC World Cup 2011 as he replaced an injured Ashish Nehra in the final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. Sadly, he was not been able to take any wickets in the final. A lot happened for Sreesanth post the World Cup as he was accused of spot-fixing in 2013 and was banned from cricket which later was reduced to a seven-year ban. Sreesanth then appeared in many TV Shows and movies as well. After serving the ban, he returned to domestic cricket and then announced his retirement in March 2022. Sreesanth was last seen playing in the Legends League Cricket tournament.

Indian cricket has a rich history of producing some iconic batsmen over the different generations, which has been a big aspect. But there have been many Indian bowlers who have stamped their authority and have managed to write their names in history, especially in test cricket. In this article, we will talk about the Indians who have registered the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Getting five wickets in an innings is never easy, but some bowlers have made a habit of it.

The Indian record for most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket is held by Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 36 five-wicket hauls from 100 matches. Ashwin overtook India's highest-ever wicket-taker, Anil Kumble. The leg-spinner finished his career with 619 wickets and has 35 five-wicket hauls in 32 more Tests than Ashwin.

Most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by an Indian bowler

1. Ravichandran Ashwin (2011-2024*) | 36 Times

Ravichandran Ashwin, the modern-day spin maestro, tops the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by an Indian bowler list with a staggering 36 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Since making his debut in 2011, Ashwin has emerged as India's premier spinner in Test cricket.

The veteran Indian spinner has been a key reason for India's success and dominance at home. He is also the fastest Indian to reach 300, 400, and 500 test wickets. Ashwin has played 101 tests so far and taken 516 wickets with a BBI of 7/59. Not to forget, he is also a handy batter in test cricket.

Also Read: Most 5 wicket hauls in Test Cricket

2. Anil Kumble (1990-2008) | 35 Times

Arguably one of the greatest spinners of all time, Anil Kumble is the second Indian bowler who has the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Anil Kumble started a career as a batsman and became one of the greatest bowlers in Indian cricket history.

Kumble certainly was one of the most iconic bowlers of all time and is still the second-fastest to reach a massive feat of 600 wickets in Test cricket. Without much turn, Kumble found success in all conditions. He played 132 Tests and took 619 wickets with the best bowling figures in an innings of 10/74. Kumble also took eight ten-wicket match hauls.

3. Harbhajan Singh (1998-2015) | 25 Times

Harbhajan Singh, fondly known as the 'Turbanator', is considered as one of India's finest off-spinners. He retired with two World Cup titles and over 700 international wickets. In test cricket, he became the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in 2001 against Australia, which changed his career. Bhajji played 103 tests overall and took 417 wickets with 25 five-wicket hauls and 5 ten-wicket match hauls.

4. Kapil Dev (1978-1994) | 23 Times

A true legend of Indian cricket, Kapil Dev comes forth in the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by an Indian bowler list who revolutionized the game with his dynamic all-round skills. Indian cricket history is incomplete without the contribution of Kapil Dev. He was the most impactful Indian cricketer of his era.

Be it his iconic 175* against Zimbabwe in the World Cup 1983 or leading India to glory, he was an exceptional performer. Kapil is the only cricketer in history to score more than 5000 runs and take 400+ wickets in test cricket. He played 131 tests, took 434 wickets with 23 five-fors, and also scored eight hundreds with the bat.

Also Read: Most Test wickets as captain

5. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar (1964-1979) | 16 Times

Bhagwath Chandrasekhar was India's one of the biggest match-winners in his time. India's success overseas was pretty rare, but Chandrasekhar made India believe that they could do that. 42 wickets in just five overseas test wins is just incredible. He played for India between 1964 and 1979, featured in 58 tests, and took 242 wickets with a best of 8/79. Chandrashekhar registered 16 five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket match hauls in his career.

6. Bishan Singh Bedi (1966-1979) | 14 Times

Bishan Singh Bedi, the graceful left-arm spinner and former Indian captain, impressed cricket fans with his artistry and finesse, claiming 14 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Known for his impeccable control and flighted deliveries, Bedi misleaded batsmen with his ability to spin the ball both ways. His memorable performances against formidable opponents like Australia and the West Indies cemented his legacy as one of India's finest spinners.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (2012-2024*) | 13 Times

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja picked up his 13th 5-wicket haul and went up to 7th in the list of most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket for India. His performance has hit a peak over the last few years, making him a very reliable cricketer in all conditions. Jadeja featured in 72 Tests so far, and took 294 wickets with a best of 7/42. He also became the second left-arm Indian spinner after Bishan Singh Bedi to record 8 five-wicket hauls in the longest format at home.

8. Subhash Gupte (1951-1961) | 12 Times

Subhash Gupte was a kind of player who will always be remember for his great skills and magic of spin bowling. He was the front-line spinner of India in 1950s and early 60s. A little incident ended his career when he was only 32 and India lost a great spinner. Gupte debuted his Test career against England in 1952 and took 12 five-wicket hauls in his short career. He featured in 36 Tests, and took 149 wickets with a best of 9/102.

9. Zaheer Khan (2000-2014) | 11 Times

Zaheer Khan, the left-arm pace sensation, played a pivotal role in India's bowling resurgence during the 2000s, claiming 11 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and deliver lethal yorkers, Zaheer troubled batsmen with his skill and guile. His memorable spells against top-quality opposition, both at home and abroad, played a crucial role in India's success in Test cricket. He featured in 92 Tests, and took 311 wickets with a best of 7/87.

Also Read: Fastest to 500 Test Wickets

10. Ishant Sharma (2007-2021) | 11 Times

Ishant Sharma, the lanky fast bowler with an tireless spirit, has been a mainstay of the Indian bowling attack for over a decade, claiming 11 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Known for his ability to extract bounce and seam movement from any surface, Ishant has troubled batsmen with his relentless accuracy and deceptive variations. His memorable spells against top-ranked teams like England and Australia underline his value to the Indian team. He featured in 105 Tests and took 311 wickets with a best of 7/74.

Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble holds the record for being the bowler to play the most Test matches for India having played for the national team in red-ball cricket 132 times.

Anil Kumble is India's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history with 619 wickets in 132 matches over a career that lasted 18 years.

Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev's legacy might be of one of the greatest all-rounders to grace the game but his achievements as a bowler alone are worthy of legendary status having played 131 Test matches for India.

The legendary Kapil Dev is India's highest wicket-taker among pacers in Test cricket history with 434 wickets in 131 matches in red-ball cricket.

Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma is only the two Indian pacers to play in 100 test matches having featured in 105 red-ball matches for the national team. He has played a total of 105 Test matches in his career for India and took 311 wickets being the joint second among pacers as far as highest wicket-takers for India are concerned.

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh was the second Indian spinner to play 100 Test matches for India having played 103 games for the national team. Harbhajan took an incredible tally of 417 wickets in 103 Test matches for India in a career that lasted almost two decades.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin became the 5th Indian bowler and 3rd spinner to feature in 100 Test matches for India during the Dharamshala Test against England.

Ravichandran Ashwin will be playing his 100 Test matches for India in which he has 507 wickets and is only of two Indian bowlers with more than 500 scalps in the longest format.