The first England Cricket World Cup was won by the women’s side. The most Test runs are over 15,000 in total. Can you believe that cricket is not an Olympic sport? Chris Gayle is the only batsman in Test history to hit a six off the first ball of a game.
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi is the only cricketer to have played Test cricket for both India and England. Sachin Tendulkar played for Pakistan once! 111 is considered to be an unlucky score. WI vs ENG was played in Antigua, 2009 was recorded as the shortest match ever.
If you watch cricket, you can’t stop yourself from getting all the adrenaline you can out of it. However, here are some cricket facts, that we believe you should be aware of!
10. Can you believe that cricket is not an Olympic sport?
If you’ve ever wondered why cricket isn’t included in the Olympics, here’s your answer. The Olympics in Paris in 1900 wanted cricket to be a part of their games. At the time, the only participants were the United Kingdom and France. Cricket’s inability to be officially included in the Olympics was undoubtedly due to a lack of participants. Is it possible that cricket will be included in the Olympics soon? Only time will tell.
9. The most Test runs are over 15,000 in total.
This isn’t just a Cricket fact, this is a surreal moment!
Sachin Tendulkar, also known as the God of Cricket, is the only batsman to have scored over 15,000 runs in the format. He’s the GOAT of cricket for a reason! He has scored 15971 runs in 329 innings.
8. The first England Cricket World Cup was won by the women’s side.
Women’s power has triumphed once more, this time in the cricket franchise. The first world cup winner was the England women’s team in 1973, two years before the first men’s cricket event. Following that, they have definitely demonstrated much valour and precision, bringing their game into their cricket franchise by many victories.
7. The longest recorded cricket match lasted 14 days.
Cricket matches are usually quite long, especially when everyone is anticipating to see who will win. The longest recorded cricket match was played between England and South Africa in Durban. It is also used for the timeless test. It lasted nearly 90 days and saw over 683 overs bowled.
6. White willow is used to make cricket bats.
A cricket bat is made of willow wood. This is commonly found in the Northern hemisphere during extreme cold seasons. A fun fact is that you can usually find it in Indian regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, which is why it is now known as the Kashmir willow. These are known to provide the necessary strength and compression for a cricket ball.
5. South Africa’s John Watkins is the oldest living Test cricketer.
Next up on boggling Cricket facts we have South Africa’s John Watkins who is one of the most well-known cricketers who played for the South African team. Between 1949 and 1957, he appeared in 15 test matches. His death occurred on September 3, 2021, at the age of 98. He died of covid-19 after contracting it, but he is still regarded as one of the world’s greatest pace bowlers.
4. MS Dhoni has never scored an ODI century outside of Asia.
MS Dhoni has led the cricket franchise with numerous victories. But did you know he’s never scored a century in an ODI outside of Asia? Dhoni has 10 ODI centuries and 6 test centuries, but he has only scored these centuries in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India. One feat he failed to achieve.
3. Shoaib Akhtar bowled the fastest delivery in the history of cricket!
Shoaib Akhtar is regarded as one of the greatest ever to play this game. 161.3 km/h! Those were the numbers that shocked the world. His run-up, just before the boundary line, was enough to scare the batsman. This remarkable incident will go down as one of the best moment in the history of cricket. This happened in 2003 against England.
2. Ravi Shastri is the first cricketer to hit 6 sixes in an over.
Yes, you heard that right! Former Indian coach was the first person in history to achieve this feat. In cricket, hitting a six is an energy booster. It could be the winning shot that not only saves your team but also demonstrates your abilities as an outstanding batsman. Ravi Shastri went on to get 200 in that game which till date is the fastest double century in the history of first class cricket.
1. Cricket began as a children’s game in England in the 16th century.
Children in the Weald, a small area in the southeast of England, began playing cricket on the streets sometime in the 16th century. But little did they know that it would be the genesis of a game that would be remembered, admired, and throned by millions of people.