Three cricketing greats and standout performers in the history of the game - legendary opener Virender Sehwag, former Indian Women Test skipper Diana Edulji and Sri Lanka's iconic star Aravinda de Silva are the latest inductees to be added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the name of the three legends of cricket as the latest inductees of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Sehwag had dynamism a destructive opener of the modern era holds a record that is still hard to match, the first Indian with a Triple century. Sehwag has in fact scored two Triple Hundreds.
During his illustrious career, Sehwag scored 23 Test centuries, the fifth most by an India men's player and claimed a record of the highest score by an Indian player ever, 319 which was against South Africa in Chennai in 2008. Overall, Sehwag has 8,586 runs to his name at an average of 49.34 in 104 appearances.
Even though, Shewag's statistics in the red ball format speak volumes about his potential, his explosive style of play thrived in the ODI format. In 251 ODI games, the right-handed batter has 8,273 runs at an average of 35.05. He also helped India claim their second ICC Men's Cricket World Cup title in 2011, with his 380 runs for the tournament the seventh-best for any player during the tournament.
"I would like to thank the ICC and the jury for inducting me with this honour. I feel extremely grateful for having spent a great part of my life doing what I loved most, 'hitting the cricket ball'. I would also like to thank my family, friends, people I played with, and countless people who prayed for me selflessly," Sehwag said after being inducted into the Hall of Fame as quoted from ICC.
The second inductee in the ICC Hall of Fame Edulji captained India for almost three decades, and as a left-arm orthodox spinner claimed 100 wickets while making 54 international appearances. Edulji took up the role of administrator with Western Railways and worked hard to create opportunities for employment for women cricketers. She also played an influential role in creating the sports policy of Western and Indian Railways.
"At the outset, I would like to thank the ICC and the Jury for having selected me to be inducted in the ICC Hall Of Fame 2023. It indeed is a great honour to be the first Indian Women Cricketer to be inducted and join a galaxy of cricketers, male and female from across the world. I am delighted to be considered for this award. It's not only a proud moment for me, my family and friends but also for BCCI and Indian Women's Cricket," Edulji said.
The third inductee of the ICC Hall of Fame was a winner of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup with Sri Lanka in 1996 - Aravinda de Silva. The Sri Lankan batter was known for his consistency, scoring 20 Test centuries during an 18-year international career which is the third most by any Sri Lanka men's player. His expertise with the bat wasn't limited in the red-ball format, in white-ball cricket he has 11 centuries to his name.
In 93 Test matches, Silva scored 6,361 runs at an average of 42.97. Coming to ODIs, he featured in 308 games and scored 9,284 runs at an average of 34.90.
Silva thanked his family for playing a massive role in his career and said, "I am filled with profound gratitude as I accept the immense honour of being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. This achievement is a tribute to the dedication, sacrifice, and love that have shaped my cricketing journey. My family, my parents, my sister, my wife and children are my anchor, and deserve the deepest thanks for their unwavering support and sacrifice, which have propelled me towards success. My friends, steadfast companions throughout my highs and lows, have been my pillars of strength. To my coaches, teachers, fans and supporters, your relentless belief in me has fuelled my drive to succeed. My mentors and captains have guided and inspired me, and my teammates have been my extended family on this incredible journey. To the ones I have played against, thank you for enriching my game."
