Cricket is the second most mainstream sport, behind football. The historical backdrop of cricket began a hundred years prior during the sixteenth century. This game has created some of the most prominent cricketers from Odisha, who have also made it to National and International levels.
Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is the overseeing body of the Cricket exercises in the Odisha province of India and the Odisha cricket team. Odisha initially contended from the start class level in the 1949-50 Ranji Trophy. since the start there had been up down in Odisha cricket.
In 1983-84 Odisha cricket team progressed to the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals for the first time.
The team’s recent best performance in the Ranji Trophy came in the 2019-20 season, when they advanced to the quarter-final stage and lost to Bengal in the quarter-final.
Players from Odisha have also represented India. Here we are going to make a rundown of the top 6 biggest cricket Players ever from Odisha.
1- Debashis Mohanty
The Bhubaneswar-conceived medium pacer, Debasis Mohanty, ended up being a convenient entertainer for India in ODIs during the 1990s. With an open-chested activity, he could produce inswing and inconvenience the batsmen.
Career
He made his Test debut against Srilanka in the year 1997 and in the ODI in the year 1998 against Pakistan
In the year 1999 world cup he was selected in the Indian squad. He was maybe at his best in the games against Kenya and England. Specifically, the early wickets he took in the vital match against the hosts prepared for India to fit the bill for Super Sixes.
Total Wickets
- Test—4 wicket
- ODI—57 wicket
2- Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha was born on 5 September 1986. He is an Indian previous cricketer, who addressed India in Test, ODIs, and T20. He is an attacking slow left-arm orthodox bowler and left-hand tail-ender batsman.
Career
He made his Test debut against Srilanka in the year 2009 and in the ODI in the year 2008 against Bangladesh and T20 against Bangladesh in the year 2009.
He played a crucial role in Deccan chargers and Mumbai Indians in IPL.
Total wickets
- Test—113 wicket
- ODI—21 wicket
- T20—10 Wicket
- IPL—89 wicket
3-Sanjay Raul
Sanjay Raul was born on 6 October 1976 (age 44 years). He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler.
Sanjay Raul is a stroke middle-order batsman who started his international debut as part of India’s A’ tour of Pakistan in early 1998.
He played both of his ODIs against Pakistan at Skating and Curling Club, Toronto in 1998, however neglected to perform well in the two matches. His best homegrown season was in 1996/97, when he made 644 runs and took 37 wickets, and beat the batting and bowling midpoints for Odisha.
Career
He made his ODI debut in the year 2000 against Pakistan.
Total Runs
- First Class— 5212 Runs
- ODI international—4 Runs
4- Shiv Sunder Das
Shiv Sunder Das was born on 5 November 1977. He is an Indian cricketer and 3rd player from Odisha to represent India. He is a right-handed opening batsman. He has represented Odisha in first-class cricket. Shiv Sunder Das was chosen for the National Cricket Academy’s first intake in Bangalore in 2000. Later that year, he played his first Test match.
Career
He made his TEST debut in the year 2000 against Bangladesh and ODI debut against South Africa in 2001.
Total Runs
- First Class— 10908 Runs
- Test—- 1326 Runs
- (No of 100’s —2)
- ODI international—39Runs
5- Natraj Behera
Natraj Bhuban Behera born on 28 May 1988 in the Steel City of Rourkela, was the captain of the Odisha cricket team. Under his capable administration, East Zone won its first Duleep Trophy title of 2011-12 crushing Central Zone. One year from now East Zone rehashed the equivalent by winning the Duleep Trophy for the second time straight by vanquishing West Zone.
Career
He made his First-class debut against Gujrat in the year 2008 and List A debut against Tripura at Kolkata
Total Runs
- First Class— 3031 Runs
- List A— 967 Runs
- T20—261Runs
6- Biplab Samantray
Biplab Samantray initially made section into the most limited arrangement of the game prior to making his top-notch debut against Baroda in 2010. He had a good introduction to Ranji season while the 2012/13 season was productive to him. Not just he contributed well with the bat, his right-arm medium-pace was very powerful and he sacked 18 wickets separated from turning into the second most elevated run-getter for Odisha.
Career
He made his first-class debut against Baroda in the year 2010
Total Runs
- First Class— 3759 Runs
- List A— 1530 Runs
- T20—1146 Runs
- IPL—125 Runs
There are so many talented players in Odisha but they never get proper guidance like a world-class level player. After Pragyan Ojha there are not so many top players who reached a high level. Nowadays even Odisha could not score well in Ranji.
There can be various reasons like firstly the absence of framework has given a significant shock to the yearnings of the cricketers here. There aren’t numerous areas in the State. secondly Indeed assuming there are hardly any willing players, the mentor likewise doesn’t show that much interest.
