Top 10 Iconic Indian cricketers and their home states

6. Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble- Karnataka

Rahul Dravid, also known as Mr Dependable and The Wall, is currently serving India as a head coach. During his playing days, he was known for wrecking opponents with his calm and composed batting attitude. The right-handed batter served Team India for 15 years from 1996 to 2011 and during this period, he played an enormous role in making the team a formidable force in international cricket.

Along with Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid is the only Indian batter who has scored more than 10000 runs in both ODIs and Tests. He was born in Indore in Madhya Pradesh but was raised in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Before becoming an international cricketer, he represented Karnataka in under-15, under-17, and under-19 levels. In 1991, he got a chance to debut for the state in the Ranji Trophy.

Before Dravid, leg-spinner Anil Kumble also came from Karnataka. He was born and brought up in the state’s metropolitan city Bengaluru. Kumble made his India debut in April 1990 but it was February 1999 when he hit the headlines for his aggressive bowling against Pakistan in a Test match played in Delhi.

Grabbing a 10-wicket haul in the second innings of the game, he became the first bowler to pick up all 10 wickets of a team in an innings of cricket’s longest format. In 2008, he retired from international cricket with 619 wickets in 132 Tests. With these numbers, he is the fourth-most successful bowler in red-ball cricket.