Best-ever India playing XI

India's journey in cricket is remarkable. India's cricketing journey began in 1932 when they played their first-ever Test against England at Lord's. For decades, India remained an underdog in the game, but things have completely changed in modern times.

India are now a force to reckon with not only on the field but also off it. India is considered one of the powerhouses of cricket, while its governing body, BCCI, is by far the richest cricket organization in the world. Throughout this remarkable journey, India has produced a plethora of legendary players across generations. Here we are taking a look at India's best-ever playing XI.

Best-ever India playing XI:

Openers: Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar

Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar are the openers in this star-studded lineup. Gavaskar is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen of all time. The former India batsman held the record for most Test runs and centuries when he retired from international cricket.

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In 125 Tests, he scored 10122 runs with the help of 34 centuries. He also scored more than 3000 runs in ODIs. Sehwag's impact in international cricket is also huge. In 2004, he became the first-ever Indian batsman to score a triple century in Tests and went on to score another in 2008. Overall, he scored more than 8000 runs in Tests as well as ODIs. Sehwag was also a part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011.

Honorable mention: Rohit Sharma

Also Read: India Test Squad

Middle-order: Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (C), Kapil Dev

Rahul Dravid will be at number three in the best-ever India playing XI. The former India batsman made a huge impact in Tests as well as ODIs. He played 164 Tests and scored 13288 runs with the help of 36 centuries and 63 half-centuries. In ODIs, Dravid scored 10889 runs in 344 games, including 12 centuries and 83 fifties.

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar will be at number four in this team. While Tendulkar opened the innings in ODIs and is widely regarded as the greatest-ever ODI batsman, he batted at number four in Tests. At the time of his retirement, Tendulkar held most of the major batting records.

He still holds the record for most runs and centuries in international cricket. Tendulkar scored more than 34000 runs in international cricket with the help of 100 centuries.

Virat Kohli is a modern-day great and is at number five, although he prefers batting in the top order. Kohli is widely regarded as one of the greatest ODI players of all time. He has scored more than 14000 runs, including a record 51 centuries in the 50-over format. In Tests, Kohli scored 9230 runs, including 30 tons, while in T20Is, he scored more than 4000 runs.

Yuvraj Singh is considered by many as India's greatest match-winner. The former batsman played a huge role in India's triumphant campaign in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. He was the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup. Yuvraj remains the only Indian player to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket.

MS Dhoni is the captain of this star-studded lineup. The former India wicketkeeper is India's most decorated captain. He led India to glory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, andthe 2013 Champions Trophy. Under him, India also moved to the top of the ICC Rankings in Test for the first time.

Kapil Dev, arguably India's greatest all-rounder, is the all-rounder of this team. He scored more than 8000 runs and picked up over 600 wickets in international cricket. Kapil was also the captain when India won their first-ever World Cup in 1983.

Bowlers: Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan

Anil Kumble is the spin spearhead of this team. Kumble is India's all-time leading wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs. On the other hand, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan are the two pacers.

Honourable mention: Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah

Also Read: India ODI Squad