The title’ Old King of Cricket’ is given to those cricket legends who shaped the legacy of cricket in different eras. These cricket legends possess the skills and temperament to become one of the greatest of all time. Many batters have registered their names in this list, which is still remembered long after their retirement. From the classic era of pure technique and elegance, these batsmen ruled cricket. Revisiting the cricket careers of these players will highlight their contributions and help true cricket fans connect to their roots.
Defining the Old King of Cricket: The Legends Who Shaped the Sport
Sir Donald Bradman: The Undisputed Original King
Australian-born Sir Donald Bradman achieved records and accomplishments that remain a dream for many cricketers. Don Bradman achieved a record average of more than 99+ in test cricket. This only record is the proof of how dominant Bradman was in his time. His records and achievements made him the greatest player in this sport. He inspired many cricketers to choose cricket as a career in the 1950s. His achievements and records are just phenomenal and brilliant. His technique and brilliance helped him tackle one of the top bowlers of that time, enabling him to reach that level of batting.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 100s | 50s | 6s | Catches |
| Tests | 52 | 80 | 10 | 6,996 | 334 | 99.94 | 29 | 13 | 6 | 32 |
| First-Class | 234 | 338 | 43 | 28,067 | 452* | 95.14 | 117 | 69 | – | 132 |
Sachin Tendulkar: The People’s Champion
Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar is the face of bringing cricket into the hearts of the Indian people. Starting his career in the early 90s, Sachin became the all-time greatest batter after his retirement. After starting his career in his 20s, Sachin was never underestimated, especially in his early career years. Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer in the world to score 100 hundred in his entire cricket career. Achieving this record in a tough time, when conditions favour bowlers the most, sets Sachin apart from other batting legends.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 100s | 50s |
| Tests | 200 | 329 | 33 | 15,921 | 248* | 53.78 | 51 | 68 |
| ODIs | 463 | 452 | 41 | 18,426 | 200* | 44.83 | 49 | 96 |
Other Historical Greats Worth Mentioning
Apart from Sachin and Don Bradman, many batters from various cricket nations have made records and won games for their sides. Brian Lara from the West Indies showed an extraordinary performance for his side as a batter. He is the only batter in the history of test cricket to score 400 runs in a single innings. However, he is one of the stylish and elegant left-hand batters to ever play for the West Indies in test cricket. Australian former Captain, Ricky Ponting, is a multi-dimensional player.
He scored runs for his side and led the side to the highest level of cricket. Ricky Ponting is the highest runs scorer in all formats and scored the most centuries for Australia. Apart from it, Ricky Ponting is the most glorified Captain in cricket history. Ricky Ponting won four ICC trophies for Australia, making him the highest-ever captain to win ICC events.
Muttiah Muralitharan is a specialist spin-bowler for Sri Lanka. In his entire career, Muttiah troubled many batters with his excellent grip and spin bowling. With over 800+ wickets in international cricket, Muttiah is the highest wicket-taker in international cricket. Former Captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Imran Khan, achieved massive success as the Captain of Pakistan. He is the only Pakistani player to win the ICC ODI World Cup as Captain in 1992. Additionally, he was one of the greatest all-rounders of all time during the 1970s and 1980s era of cricket.
Who Is the New King of Cricket Today?
Global Contenders in the Modern Era
In modern cricket, many names have achieved massive success as batters. The main names in this list are Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root. All four of these players started playing cricket in the same era in the late 2000s or early 2010s. But later, one player from Pakistan was added to this list, whose name was Babar Azam. Babar made his professional debut in 2015 and achieved massive success in no time. Every player has their own uniqueness, and Virat achieved massive success in all formats of the game, breaking numerous records.
He has scored 2nd most centuries for India in international cricket, scoring 50 centuries in ODI cricket. In the Cricket World Cup 2023, he broke Sachin’s record to become the first player to score 50 centuries in ODI cricket. Steve Smith dominated massively in ODI and Test cricket. Where is one of the most consistent test players and the backbone of the Australian test squad. Kane Williamson has achieved massive success for New Zealand in test and ODI cricket. He is also one of the best leaders of the New Zealand cricket team. He is the only Captain for New Zealand to take his side to 2 ICC finals.
Joe Root has achieved massive success for England in test cricket. In the past 4-5 years, Joe Root has scored 10+ centuries in Test cricket and has surpassed Ricky Ponting as the second-highest all-time run scorer in Test cricket. He can break the record of most runs in test cricket for all time if he keeps going at that pace. Babar Azam achieved massive records for the Pakistan cricket team. He achieved massive success in ODI cricket for Pakistan. In test cricket, his record ranks him among the top Pakistani players. In T20 cricket, he has scored three centuries, which makes him the only player in Pakistan and one of the Top players in cricket right now.
| Player | Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | Highest Score |
| Joe Root | Test | 158 | 288 | 13,543 | 51.29 | 39 | 66 | 262 |
| ODI | 183 | 172 | 7,301 | 49.33 | 19 | 43 | 166* | |
| T20I | 32 | 30 | 893 | 35.72 | 0 | 5 | 90* | |
| Babar Azam | Test | 59 | 108 | 4,235 | 42.77 | 9 | 29 | 196 |
| ODI | 134 | 131 | 6,291 | 54.23 | 19 | 37 | 158 | |
| T20I | 128 | 121 | 4,223 | 39.83 | 3 | 36 | 122 | |
| Kane Williamson | Test | 105 | 186 | 9,276 | 54.88 | 33 | 37 | 251 |
| ODI | 173 | 165 | 7,235 | 49.21 | 15 | 47 | 148 | |
| T20I | 71 | 68 | 2,000 | 35.71 | 0 | 15 | 72 | |
| Steve Smith | Test | 119 | 212 | 10,477 | 56.02 | 36 | 46 | 239 |
| ODI | 170 | 154 | 5,800 | 43.28 | 12 | 35 | 164 | |
| T20I | 67 | 55 | 1,094 | 24.86 | 0 | 5 | 90* | |
| Virat Kohli | Test | 123 | 210 | 9,230 | 46.85 | 30 | 31 | 254* |
| ODI | 302 | 290 | 14,181 | 57.88 | 51 | 74 | 183 | |
| T20I | 125 | 117 | 4,188 | 48.69 | 1 | 38 | 122* |
Despite these records, these players have surpassed many limits in ICC awards and ranking. Joe Root has been giving extraordinary performances in recent years. Therefore, he is currently sitting comfortably in the #1 position in the ICC Test rankings. He has a lifetime chance to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most runs in test cricket of all time. Kane Williamson delivered a crucial performance in test cricket for New Zealand.
His crucial performances earned him the title of former ICC #1 test player in the test rankings. Steven Smith is one of the few batters sustaining a 50+ average after playing more than 100 test games. Due to his brilliant performances in test cricket, Steve Smith became the ICC Test player of the decade. Virat Kohli became the #1 ICC ODI batter of the year. He was also the ICC Player of the Decade in 2020. He also sustained the #1 position in the ODI ranking for 3-4 years.
Babar Azam has done a fantastic job in white-ball cricket. He maintained the #1 position in the ICC ODI ranking for 4-5 years. He also became ICC Player of the Year in 2021 for his excellent contributions. These players have proved why they are here. Their performances and important runs are proof that they are among the top players of cricket right now.
The King of Cricket in the World: Who Reigns in 2025?
Looking at the previous records and achievements, Virat Kohli stands tall as one of the greatest batters of the recent era. He not only scored runs, but he is a real match-winner. His crucial runs and innings won important games for India. His 82* runs innings against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 will be remembered for a long time. He was also the Man of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. Virat Kohli was also the player of the tournament in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He scored 765 runs in that tournament to take India to the 4th final of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
He was also one of the highest run scorers for India in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Virat Kohli has consistently delivered impactful performances in every ICC tournament. He found every opportunity to win the game for himself. In test cricket, he became the first Asia captain to win a Test series in Australia. His commanding leadership made India the number one test side for most of his tenure as captain.
No doubt, under Virat Kohli’s leadership, India won many games and did well in ICC Tournaments as well. However, one unfortunate thing was that Virat Kohli never won an ICC event as Captain. He reached the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. But he lost that game against Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Perspective: Who Are Our Kings, Then and Now?
Imran Khan’s Lasting Legacy
In every country, a single player or tournament can make a sport one of the biggest events. For Pakistan, Imran Khan did that job. He was a brilliant all-rounder and became the first captain to take Pakistan to its first-ever ICC World Cup triumph. Under his leadership, the Pakistan cricket team reached its highest level of achievement.
People started admiring him. He made legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and many others. He took a firm stance with his decisions in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, which ultimately benefited him. He was one of the most admired people of that era. His achievements on and off the field were just phenomenal.
He took a tough decision to improve Pakistan cricket. Following Pakistan’s triumph in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, cricket gained significant popularity in the country. Cricket is now the most popular sport in Pakistan. And in making this sport famous in Pakistan, the role of Imran Khan is massive, as he started that journey.
Babar Azam’s Rise to Royalty
From 2010 to 2015, Pakistan lacked a skilled batter who could make runs and stabilize Pakistan’s innings in the middle phase. Therefore, in 2015, Babar Azam made his debut and started his golden run for Pakistan. Babar Azam showed a massive performance in no time and became a permanent member of the Pakistan team.
Due to his massive performance, he was given the responsibility to lead the side. Under his leadership, Pakistan beat India for the very first time in the ICC World Cup. His massive contributions and decent captaincy records have built a strong fan base for him. In the present moment, Babar Azam is one of the biggest players of the Pakistan cricket side. Despite being out of form, Babar Azam is a need for the Pakistan cricket team to maintain a strong batting lineup.
FAQs
1. Who is called the old king of cricket in most record books?
Sir Donald Bradman is known as the “Old King of Cricket” due to his unmatched Test average of 99.94 and his era-defining, dominant performances.
2. Is Sachin Tendulkar considered greater than Bradman in Asia?
Yes, in Asia, Sachin is often seen as greater than Bradman due to his records, longevity, and massive emotional impact on millions of fans.
3. Who is the current king of cricket in 2025?
Virat Kohli remains the current King of Cricket in 2025, thanks to his record-breaking centuries, consistent performances, and an unmatched global fan following.
4. Is Babar Azam in the top 3 cricket players in the world today?
Yes, Babar Azam is considered among the top 3 due to his consistent performances across formats and strong rankings in ODIs and T20Is.
5. How do fans define a “cricket king”: stats, trophies, or legacy?
Fans define a “cricket king” through a mix of stats, trophies, and legacy. Performance matters, but emotional impact and influence seal the title.