Top 10 cricketers and their iconic statues

Ricky Ponting – Bellerive Oval, Hobart. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. The popularity and acceptance of the sport have become possible among folks due to the diligence of cricketers. In the history of the sport, some players not only helped their national team become top cricketing nations but also made a heavy contribution to this marvellous sport.

Recognising the efforts of these players, cricket supporters gave them a lot of love and respect. Following their extraordinary careers, some institutions also honoured them by erecting their statues. Dennis Lillee, Richie Benuad, and Sir Donald Bradman are some illustrious names that are celebrated through statues. Along with these renowned cricketing personalities, some other legends of this wonderful sport have also got immortalised in the form of statues.

Here are the famed cricketers and their statues

10. Garry Sobers

Gary Sobers. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Garry Sobers played for the West Indies for 20 years from 1954 to 1974. In his colossal international career, he appeared in 93 Tests and scored 8032 runs with 26 tons and 30 half-centuries in 160 innings. With the ball, he grabbed 235 wickets in 159 innings.

The Barbados-born legend also served the Windies’ side as a skipper. Leading the team in 39 Tests from 1965-72, he won nine matches. In 1974, Sobers hung up his boots after playing his last Test during England’s tour of the West Indies in Port of Spain. Sobers’ contribution to uplift West Indies cricket is still remembered by a lot of cricket fans.

On April 28th, 2002, Sobers’ 12-foot-tall statue was unveiled outside Bridgetown. In November 2006, it was relocated to the Kensington Oval facility ahead of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean islands. The former Caribbean cricketer’s sculpture attracts a lot of attention from fans who visit the famous Barbados stadium.

9. Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly – Balurghat, Kolkata. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Sourav Ganguly is one of the biggest figures in the history of Indian cricket. It was his leadership excellence that helped India become a powerful side in international cricket. Under his captaincy, India started winning competitions in overseas conditions and became an aggressive side. In 2008, Ganguly concluded his international career after giving his services to the Indian cricket team for 16 years.

As a batter, he is the fourth-leading run-getter for India with more than 18500 runs across all formats of the sport. Ganguly earned a great many followers during his playing days. In his home city, Kolkata, he is known as the Prince of Kolkata. In 2005, when Ganguly was dropped from the Indian team, cricket fans in his city displayed their anger against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the then-India coach Greg Chappell.

Ganguly is arguably the most revered cricketing figure in Kolkata and in July 2017, he visited Balurghat and unveiled his bronze statue. The former India skipper also revealed that he reached the venue after travelling on a train for the first time in 15 years. The statue of the former India captain displays him raising his bat to celebrate his Test ton against Australia that came at the Gabba, Brisbane.

8. Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh – SCG statue. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Steve Waugh is counted among the most successful Australia skipper. Playing under Waugh’s captaincy, Australia won their second World Cup title in 1999. From 1999-2004, he served brilliantly as Test skipper as well. The Aussie legend led his side in 57 Tests and won 41 matches with a victory percentage of 71.92.

In 2004, Waugh took retirement from international cricket in January 2004, after playing the last Test match of his career against India in January 2004. He ended up as the most-capped Test player with 168 outings. His record was broken by Sachin Tendulkar when he played the Colombo Test against Sri Lanka in August 2010.

On January 5, 2011, when Australia and England were clashing with each other at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for the Ashes 2010-11, Waugh’s sculpture was unveiled outside the stadium. He was commemorated in bronze. The statue displayed the former Aussie celebrating his 29th ton that came against England during the Ashes 2002-03 edition.

7. Vivian Richards

Viv Richards – Viv Richards Stadium. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Vivian Richards used to be the one of most dangerous batters during the 1970s and 1980s. In the West Indies team’s second title victory in 1979, Richards played an instrumental role with his bat. He notched up 217 runs with a century in four matches and ended up as the second-leading run-getter in the competition.

The dashing Caribbean player retired from international cricket after appearing against England in August 1991 at the Oval. In his glorious career for the West Indies, he scored more than 15000 runs in 308 international matches. Riding on his heroics, the Windies team won a lot of matches.

Acknowledging his efforts, Richards’ statue was erected at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda. During the unveiling ceremony of the statue, many renowned personalities including former Windies cricketers registered their presence.

6. Allan Border

Allan Border – Gabba Statue. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Allan Border did his job exceptionally for Australia in his 15-year international career from 1979 to 1994. Under his captaincy, Australia pulled off their maiden World Cup title in 1987. Talking about his batting performance, he became the first Aussie to score more than 11000 runs in Tests.

In the longest cricket format, he is also the captain to lead Australia in most Tests with 93 matches from 1984-94. After 27 years of his retirement from international cricket, Border was immortalised in the form of a statue at the Gabba, ahead of the first Ashes Test 2021-22 in Brisbane.

Border started his domestic career for New South Wales in 1976 but later joined Queensland. Acknowledging his accomplishment for Australia and Queensland cricket, former Queensland Australian of the Year David Conry kicked off the groundwork for the statue after listening to the podcast hosted by former England allrounder Ian Botham.

5. Shane Warne

Shane Warne – MCG. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Shane Warne’s sudden demise in March 2022 left every cricket supporter in shock. The former Australia player passed away due to a heart attack and brought tears to the faces of his ardent supporters. Warne, who made his international debut in 1992, became a key figure in the Australian team due to his disciplined leg-break bowling.

In Australia’s second World Cup title win in 1999, the spin wizard bagged 20 wickets in 10 matches and became the leading wicket-taker with New Zealand’s Geoff Allott. The former Aussie is also the second-leading wicket-taker in cricket’s longest format, with 708 wickets in 145 matches.

Warne unveiled his bronze sculptor on the parade of champions outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in December 2011. After his death in March 2022, a newly svelte statue of the Australian leg-spin legend was inaugurated at the iconic MCG in December 2022.

4. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli wax statue. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Virat Kohli is a crucial part of the Indian team due to his magnificent batting skills. In ODIs, he is the fifth-most successful batter with 12898 runs in 275 matches at a strike rate of 93.62. He has also plundered 46 tons and 65 fifties in his vast one-day career. In terms of centuries, he might surpass Sachin Tendulkar in the future and become the batter with the most tons.

Riding on his jaw-dropping batting performances, India tasted success in a great many games since 2008. Currently, he has an incredible fan base and is arguably the most famous cricket player in the international arena. Kohli’s accomplishment has been acknowledge several times by his supporters and former cricketers.

Ahead of the 2019 World Cup in England, Kohli’s wax statue was unveiled at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Currently, the India stalwart’s iconic sculptor is in the Madame Tussauds museum in London, along with the wax doppelgangers of other sporting icons such as Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi, Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev.

3. Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting – Bellerive Oval, Hobart. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Ricky Ponting is the most successful captain to serve Australia in the history of their ODI cricket. As a one-day captain, he led Australia in 230 matches and won 165 with an unprecedented victory percentage of 71.73. It was under his fearless captaincy that Australia won two World Cup trophies  (2003 and 2007) without losing any game in both editions.

Discussing his batting numbers, the former Aussie captain is the third-most successful batter in ODIs. He appeared in 375 matches and chalked up 13704 runs with 30 centuries and 82 fifties. While in red-ball cricket, he is the second-highest run-getter with 13378 runs with 41 centuries in 168 Tests.

Ponting is undoubtedly a massive figure in Australian cricket and in December 2015, he got immortalised in the form of a statue at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. Ponting himself launched the statue ahead of the first Test between West Indies and Australia in Hobart in 2015.

2. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar – Wax statue at Madame Tussauds . (Photo Source: Twitter)

Sachin Tendulkar served India for 24 years from 1989 to 2013 and during this period, he achieved great success in ODIs and Tests and broke into record books. In Tests and one-days, he emerged as the leading run-getter. Donning India whites, he scored 15921 runs with 51 centuries and 68 fifties in 200 Tests.

While in ODIs, he ended up as the leading run-scorer with 18426 runs in 463 ODIs. He also notched up 49 tons and 96 fifties in his immense one-day career. Along with these records, he is also the player with the most runs in ODI World Cups. He hit 2278 runs with six centuries and 15 fifties in 45 games played between 1992-2011 World Cup editions.

In India’s second World Cup triumph in 2011, Tendulkar scored 482 runs in nine matches and ended up as the second-leading run-scorer in the tournament. After 10 years of his retirement, his fans might see a life-size statue of the Master Blaster at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Earlier, Sachin’s wax statue was launched at Madame Tussauds in London in April 2009.

1. MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni – Wax statue in Mysuru museum. (Photo Source: Twitter)

MS Dhoni is one of the most revered figures in the cricketing fraternity. The wicketkeeper batter made his international debut during India’s tour of Bangladesh in December 2004. With his diligence, he made his name in international cricket and became the captain of the team in 2007.

Under his phenomenal leadership, India won major white-ball tournaments such as the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Dhoni’s record is amazing in ODIs as he is the fifth-leading run-getter for India with 10599 runs in 347 contests.

In October 2022, Dhoni hit the headlines as his wax statue in a wax museum in Mysuru grabbed a lot of eyeballs. However, several Dhoni supporters took to social media sites and came heavily on its maker for a horrendous VFX version of the former India skipper.