Top 10 Shortest Cricketers: Cricket doesn’t require a decent appearance or structure to play. Whether tall or small, a player can succeed in Cricket. Cricket skills are required.
Tall bowlers can generate more bounce due to their high release point. Tall batsmen can create more physical force due to their size and strength, but a short heightened bowler can bowl a bounce and hitters can hit a six. Many short, powerful, or big-bodied players have dominated the game. Cricket success requires overcoming your weaknesses and turning your strengths into weaknesses.
Top 10 Shortest Cricketers
10. Sunil Gavaskar, India | 5.5 ft
One of the best Indian cricket players of all time. Sunil Gavaskar was one of the best batters on the Indian team during his time. Gavaskar was one of the “Wisden cricketers of the year” in 1980. He was the first batsman to ever score 10,000 runs in the “purest” form of the game.
Even though Sunil Gavaskar has been retired for many years, he is still called one of the best openers of all time. It was strange to see how he hit the ball. Even though he was a short player in an era when the top West Indies bowler was very aggressive, he still managed to score a lot of runs for the team. This just shows how he plays the game with lion heart.
9. Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe | 5.41 ft
In 2005, he led Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka to become cricket’s youngest captain (20y 358d). Rashid Khan became Afghanistan’s captain at 20 years 350 days, breaking Taibu’s record.
Tatenda Taibu made his international debut for Zimbabwe at age 18. Two years later, he was selected vice-captain under Heath streak. Taibu was Zimbabwe’s captain after the Black-armband protest. The wicketkeeper-batsman played 150 ODIs and scored over 3000 runs at an average of 29.25. Taibu was a fast runner and wicketkeeper, and his height never hindered him. He quit at 29.
8. Kedar Jadhav, India | 5.41 ft
The all-rounder from Maharashtra is a special player. His journey has been very inspiring, and he got a permanent spot on the Indian team even though he was a bit older than most players. He was always in the starting lineup until he had a string of bad games and was kicked off the team.
Since making his debut in 2014, the cricketer from Maharashtra has been a regular member of the Indian team. Kedar Jadhav’s many skills got him a spot on the Indian team for the 2019 World Cup. Kedar Jadhav played for his country in 73 ODIs and 9 T20Is, scoring 1389 and 122 runs, respectively, but only taking 27 wickets in ODIs.
7. Sachin Tendulkar, India | 5.41 ft
Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest cricketer ever. Recently, a 50-member committee declared him the 21st century’s greatest Test batsman. From a young age, he dominated cricket, and everyone knew he’d become a G.O.A.T.
He broke every batting record during his career. The God of Cricket’s 34000 international runs look unbreakable.
Master blaters’ aura was different; he helped popularize cricket in India. 5.41 feet tall Sachin was nicknamed Little Master. Shortness helped him play uppercut and paddle sweep. Tendulkar shows how limited height in cricket may limit success.
6. Gundappa Vishwanath, India | 5.3 ft
He was the father of Indian cricket. In the 1970s, he played for India and was a very stylish right-handed middle-order batsman. He worked for the country for 14 very long years. Even legends like Sunil Gavaskar admired how disciplined Vishy was as a player.
Vishwanath played in 90 tests and had an average of over 40 with more than 6000 runs. In an interesting fact, he hit 14 international centuries in his career, and every single one of them helped his team win.
5. Mominul Haque, Bangladesh | 5.28 ft
A promising Chittagong left-hand batsman made an impressive debut, scoring 150 runs in his first four innings against Rangana Hearth. Haque was a test expert who scored 11 consecutive 50+ scores.
The southpaw was a spin maestro who represented the Bangla tigers in 28 ODI, 44 TESTS, and 6 T20I, amassing 6 runs at an average of 20.
4. Parthiv Patel, India | 5.25 ft
The brilliant batter became India’s youngest wicketkeeper at age 17. Even though he joined the Indian team at an early age, MS Dhoni kept his spot. Since Dhoni became India’s wicketkeeper, no one has replaced him.
Parthiv Patel’s Gujrat team won Ranji in 2017. The Southpaw played 25 Tests and 38 ODIs, scoring 934 and 736 runs. In 2 T20Is, he scored 36 runs.
3. Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh | 5.25 ft
Former Bangladesh captain among country’s top cricketers. He has been a regular for Bangladesh since 2005. Rahim can bat in any position in the team and is the only wicket-keeper to score two double century.
Mushfiqur Rahim has played for the Bangla tigers in 387 Test, ODI, and T20I matches, amassing 12548 runs at a 34.9 average.
2. Walter Cornford, England | 5 ft
In the 1930s, the English team visited Blackcaps. As wicketkeeper, he made 5 catches and 3 stumpings. Short, he was nicknamed Tich. His county cricket career began in 1921 but was interrupted by WWII.
Conford scored 6500 runs in 496 first-class matches. He only played 4 international games and averaged 9 runs.
1. Kruger van Wyk, New Zealand | 4.75 ft
Kruger van Wyk was the shortest cricketer. Born in South Africa, he couldn’t make the team because of Mark Boucher. After 5 years with Northern (now Titans), the wicket-keeper batsman moved to New Zealand. 2008 champion Canterbury Wizards were led by him.
Kruger finally made his international debut in 2012 against South Africa when regular wicket-keeper BJ Watling was injured.
He scored 341 runs in 9 international matches and is the shortest cricketer ever.
Temba Bavuma, South Africa | 5.3 ft
Temba Bavuma (born 17 May 1990) is a South African cricketer who is currently the vice-captain of the South African national team in Tests and Captain in T20I and ODI. In August 2019, he was named in South Africa’s Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against India. He made his T20I debut for South Africa, against India, on 18 September 2019.
He made his One Day International (ODI) debut for South Africa against Ireland on 25 September 2016 and scored his maiden ODI century.
Bavuma made his Test match debut for South Africa against the West Indies on 26 December 2014.
