3 Most unlucky players in cricket history

In the rich history of cricket, several legends have graced the pitch and earned fame through their marvellous display on the field. Some players stood above the rest and etched their names in the history books through their remarkable performances, over and over again.

While most players’ individual success translated into the team’s success, not everyone was fortunate enough to experience it. Here are three such players, who are rated as the legends but couldn’t find themselves on the right side of the results in major events and also failed to get their due recognition:

1. Rahul Dravid

The legendary batter was called the ‘Wall of Indian cricket’ for his impregnable defence at the crease. Dravid is among the seven players to have scored 10000 runs in both Tests and ODIs. During his playing days, Dravid was the backbone of the famed Indian batting line-up and was a perfect team man.

However, despite earning several laurels for his altruistic personality and marathon batting displays, Rahul Dravid could never touch the biggest prize in world cricket, the ODI World Cup. Under his captaincy, India had their worst-ever World Cup campaign, getting knocked out in the first stage itself in 2007. A section of fans also believes that he didn’t get the much-deserved limelight playing under the shadows of Sachin Tendulkar.

2. AB De Villiers

The South Africa legend redefined batting in international cricket through his versatile strokeplay. From playing some mind-boggling shots to all corners of the ground, to showing defiance at the crease while trying to draw a Test match, De Villiers could do it all. He holds the record for the fastest half-century, century and 150 in ODIs and garnered worldwide praise for his excellent consistency across formats.

He also holds the unique record for averaging above fifty in both ODIs and Tests. However, De Villiers could never taste the success of winning an ICC trophy, leaving a major blot in his illustrious career.

3. Jacques Kallis

The South Africa legend is touted as the most complete cricketer ever, having scored 10000 runs in both ODIs and Tests, along with taking over 270 wickets in both formats. In the field, Kallis took a total of 338 catches in his career, but is still not rated as the greatest all-rounder of all time.

Despite his unmatched numbers, Kallis never got the much-deserved appreciation for his extraordinary contributions to the game, with pundits refraining from calling him the best cricketer ever. Moreover, not winning a World Cup also left something amiss in his career.