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Virender Sehwag, Diana Edulji and Aravinda de Silva
became the latest inductees in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, on Monday.
“Three greats of the game have become the latest
inductees to be added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame,” the ICC wrote in
its statement.
A pioneer in women’s cricket, Edulji became the first
Indian woman in the ICC Hall of Fame.
“At the outset, I would like to thank the ICC and
the Jury for having selected me to be inducted in the ICC Hall Of Fame
2023,” Edulji said. “It indeed is a great honour to be the first
Indian women cricketer to be inducted and join a galaxy of cricketers, male and
female from across the world.
“I am delighted to be considered for this award.
It’s not only a proud moment for me, my family and friends but also for BCCI
and Indian Women’s Cricket.”
“It is perhaps off the field that Edulji has had
an even greater impact, having played a major role as a trailblazer for India’s
women’s cricketers for many decades,” the ICC wrote.
The powerful opener Sehwag represented India in 104
Tests, 251 ODIs, and 19 T20Is. He also featured in the teams that won the 2007
T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.
In Tests, he amassed 8,586 runs and 23 centuries. He
was one of just four players to score more than 300 runs in two Test matches
and the first Indian player to reach a triple century. The other members of the
select group were Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, and Don Bradman.
Even though Sehwag’s ODI performance was still
somewhat modest, he amassed 8273 runs at a strike rate of 104.33 and scored 15
centuries. He still holds the third-highest score in the format with his 219
versus West Indies.
De Silva, the century-hitter to help Sri Lanka win the
1996 World Cup final, is also known for his aggressive batting.
He racked up 6361 runs in 93 Tests while scoring 9284
runs in 308 ODIs.