Ravichandran Ashwin has named Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest-ever Indian men's cricketer after taking part in a head-to-head elimination bracket. Ashwin made his final choice during ESPNcricinfo’s Quick Singles segment, a 16-player knockout tournament featuring stars from different eras.
The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer was asked to choose between iconic captains, batters, and fast bowlers in head-to-head rounds. Ashwin, who retired from international cricket after taking 537 Test wickets, had to compare players from different eras across formats before making several difficult selections.
Ravichandran Ashwin Asked to Pick the Greatest-Ever Indian Men's Cricketer
In the opening round, Ravichandran Ashwin faced a tough choice between former captain MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin acknowledged Jadeja’s value as an all-rounder but ultimately backed Dhoni because of his leadership, achievements across formats, and longevity in international cricket.
“Oh, my goodness. Dhoni versus Ravindra Jadeja... Very tempting to go to Jadeja, but captaincy, ODI, Test cricket, he's got his credentials. Led the team to, I think, number one ranking, and all so, I'll stick with MS. Very close for me.”
In the other Round of 16 matches, Ashwin picked Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Virender Sehwag. Ashwin also picked Jasprit Bumrah over Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid over Vinoo Mankad, and Sourav Ganguly over himself to complete the quarter-final lineup.
Who is the greatest-ever Indian men's cricketer? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ixTWgwEaYj
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 29, 2026
Ravichandran Ashwin Picks Jasprit Bumrah Over Virat Kohli
Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted Virat Kohli’s immense impact on Indian cricket, particularly in Test cricket. He also acknowledged the former captain’s success in major tournaments and his standing among India’s greatest-ever batters.
However, Ashwin eventually went with Bumrah, admitting that there may have been some personal bias behind his decision.
“Goodness gracious me. Test cricket, Virat is an absolute legend. He's done so well, he's won tournaments... I'll go with Jasprit Bumrah, man. Maybe there's a bit of a partiality, I'll pick Jasprit Bumrah.”
Ashwin selected Kapil Dev over Rahul Dravid. He also picked Sachin Tendulkar over Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag over MS Dhoni. Tendulkar, Sehwag, Bumrah and Kapil remained as his final four semi-final selections.
Ravichandran Ashwin Picks Sachin Tendulkar Over Kapil Dev in the Final
Ravichandran Ashwin had to pick between Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev. He had selected Tendulkar over Virender Sehwag, while he picked Kapil Dev over Jasprit Bumrah. Tendulkar dominated with the bat for more than two decades, while Kapil combined fast bowling, batting and leadership.
Ashwin selected Tendulkar as his greatest-ever Indian men's cricketer from the 16-player bracket. He admitted that personal admiration played a part in his decision.
“Personal bias should count at some stage. I'll go with Sachin Tendulkar.”
Kapil finished his Test career with 5,248 runs and 434 wickets. The former all-rounder also played a defining role in India’s 1983 World Cup triumph. He scored an unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe during the tournament and then led India to their first World Cup title.
Tendulkar, meanwhile, built one of the most remarkable batting records in international cricket. He finished with 34,357 runs, 100 international centuries, and 664 appearances for India, all of which remain major career milestones.
Also read: BCCI clarifies stand on Sports Governance Act amid OCA poll row
