Famous cricketers who wore the No. 10 jersey

The No. 10 shirt is extremely important in cricket, particularly since Sachin Tendulkar wore it. He is one of the legends, alongside Pele, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi, to claim and elevate the No. 10 in all of sports. The BCCI even retired the 10 in honour of Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar, however, is not the only cricketing legend to have worn the number 10, and we will look at some other famous players from the past and present who have donned this famous number on their cricket shirts.

Here are 7 Famous cricketers to don the No. 10 jersey:

7. Darren Lehmann

Darren Lehmann, a middle-order batter for Australia, also wore the number 10 jersey. He was a member of the 1999 and 2003 World Cup-winning Australian teams and had a good career. He made his international debut in 1996 and played until 2005. 

He played 27 Tests, scoring 1798 runs, including five centuries and ten fifties, with an average of 44.95. In 117 ODIs, Lehmann scored 3078 runs, including four centuries, for an average of 38.96. After retirement, he also coached Australia and the Deccan Chargers, who won the IPL in 2009.

Also check: Top 10 Retired Jersey Numbers in Cricket History

6. Peter Siddle

Peter Siddle, a highly proficient pacer for Australia, still competes in the Big Bash League. Peter Siddle wore the No. 10 jersey from 2008 until his retirement in 2019. Overall, the pacer played 67 Tests and 20 One-Day Internationals, taking 221 and 17 wickets, respectively. 

After refitment from international cricket, Siddle is still active on the T20 circuit and the Australian domestic cricket scene. He recently played in the Big Bash League 2023-24 season for Melbourne Renegades.  Interestingly, Siddle is the first and only bowler to achieve a hat-trick in Test cricket on his birthday.

5. Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur's decision to wear the famous number 10 for his ODI debut for India in 2017 sparked widespread outrage. This jersey has long been connected with Sachin Tendulkar; thus, many were displeased when Shardul wore it.

The BCCI received concerns on social media, and Shardul demonstrated respect by altering his jersey number. Shardul has played 11 Tests, 47 One-Day Internationals, and 25 Twenty20 Internationals for India, capturing 31, 65, and 33 wickets in total. 

Also check: Ranking Top 10 international cricket jerseys of all time

4. Allan Donald

During his incredible career for South Africa, legendary bowler Allan Donald wore number 10 on his ODI jersey. He took five wickets on his ODI debut against India in 1991 and went on to record 272 wickets in 164 ODIs. He also played 72 Tests, taking 330 wickets at an average of 22.25. He was the first South African bowler to reach 300 wickets in Tests.

Since retirement, Donald has dabbled in commentary jobs and coaching. He was the coach of Warwickshire County, was the bowling coach of New Zealand in the 2011 World Cup, and joined the coaching setup of South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh teams as well. He also was the bowling coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League.

3. David Miller

Bonafide South African white-ball legend David Miller also wears the number 10 on his shirt. David Miller has played 173 one-day and 116 T20 internationals, scoring 4458 and 2268 runs, respectively. He has six centuries and sixteen half-centuries, as well as two centuries in T20 internationals. 

He is regarded as one of the best batters to have never played Test cricket. He had played for various T20 leagues worldwide including the BBL, the PSL, the CPL, the Hundred, and the IPL. He has played for teams like Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, Hobart Hurricanes, Multan Sultans, Rajasthan Royals, and others.

Also check: Ranking Top 10 T20I Jerseys of All Time

2. Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi, the iconic Pakistani all-rounder and former captain, wore number 10 throughout his successful career. Afridi made his debut in 1996 and retired from the game in 2018. He played 398 one-day internationals and 99 T20 matches for Pakistan, scoring 8064 and 1416 runs, respectively. He was also a bowling star, taking 395 ODI wickets and 98 T20 wickets.

Afridi also successfully captained Pakistan, leading them to the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup in India. He also plied his trade in various T20 leagues including the IPL, and the BBL, and captained Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL. He continues to play cricket in T20 and T10 masters tournaments around the world.

1. Sachin Tendulkar

The most famous cricketer ever to don the No. 10 jersey is Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar is considered an all-time great, with Sir Don Bradman and Sir Viv Richards. Tendulkar began his international cricket career wearing 99 before switching to 33. In the end, he wore the number 10, which sounded like his surname.

Tendulkar holds the record for most Tests and ODIs played and also most runs in both formats. He is also the only batter to hit one hundred-centuries in international cricket. He scored 18,426 runs in 464 ODIs with 49 centuries and an average of 44.83 from 1989-2012. He was the first male batter to score an ODI double hundred. 

Also check: Rating India's limited-overs jerseys since 2000