Cricket has produced so much exciting talent since the first ball was played. The game mainly depends on skills and techniques. But height can play a significant role as well, especially for the bowlers. Tall guys like Marco Jansen, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Ishant Sharma, Chris Gayle, and Jacob Oram are a few of the tallest guys in recent memory. Contradictorily, there are multiple active and former individuals whose heights are not on the taller side. In this article, we’ll discover 10 cricketers with the shortest heights ever to play cricket.

10. Sachin Tendulkar

Let’s start the list with Sachin Tendulkar. After legendary Sunil Gavaskar, Tendulkar gained the nickname ‘Little Master,’ which refers to his brilliance along with his height. Tendulkar is 5’41, ruled international cricket for almost 25 years, and is one of the greatest to ever cross the boundary line, recording 100 international centuries (51 Test 100s, 49 ODI 100s) and 164 half centuries (68 ODI 50s, 96 ODI 50s). He faced legendary bowlers like Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, and James Anderson in their prime days.  

9. Kedar Jadhav

The Indian all-rounder also stands at 5’41. He made his debut for team India in 2014 and played 73 one-day international and 9 T20 international matches. Before retiring from cricket, he made 1389 ODI runs in 73 matches with an average of 42.09, including a couple of 100s and six 50s, and 122 T20I runs with a 20.33 batting average, including a half-century.

Read More: ‘Greatest IPL XI’ revealed—no place for 5-time IPL Trophy winning captain

8. Tatenda Taibu

The former Zimbabwe international is standing at 5’41. The wicketkeeper-batter became the youngest captain when he was only 20; the Zimbabwe cricket board announced his name as the skipper. At 19, he was named as the vice-captain of the senior team for the tour of England in 2003. For his nation, Taibu played 28 Test matches, 150 ODIs, and 16 T20s. He even played in the Indian Premier League for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

7. Temba Bavuma

One of the shortest cricketers in modern-day cricket with 5’4”. Bavuma is the captain of South Africa in Test and ODI format. His name is scripted in the history book of South Africa as their first African Black batsman to pick in the Test squad. Under his leadership, SA was very close to lifting the World Cup, but in the end they did not succeed. The batter is a pillar in the top order, known for his classic batting style and shot selections.   So far, he has played 62 Test matches, 48 ODIs, and 36 T20Is for SA.

6. Gundappa Vishwanath

One of the most iconic figures in Indian cricket. His aggressive batting style back in the 70s is still a talking point among a part of cricket lovers. The batter stood 5’3”, played for India for almost 14 years, and scored 6,000 runs with an average of almost 40 by playing 90 Test matches.  

5. Mominul Haque

The left-handed Bangladeshi batter, standing at 5’3”, is one of the best Test batsmen the team ever had. The prolific batter also showed his captaincy skills when Bangladesh had to play against New Zealand without their then regular captain, Shakib Al Hasan to an ICC ban. Mominul led his nation to a historic test win. Scoring back-to-back 11 fifties is another golden chapter in his cricket career.

4. Parthiv Patel

Standing at 5’25”, Parthiv Patel was the youngest cricketer to debut for team India at the age of 17 in 2002. Despite his short height, Patel lacked no keeping and batting abilities. He made a significant impact on Indian cricket. He became the youngest wicketkeeper in Test after making his debut in the format at Trent Bridge. Patel played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs, and a couple of T20Is.

3. Mushfiqur Rahim

One of the shortest cricketers of all time, the Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter’s height is 5’25, one of the best cricketers in the country. The cricketer has amassed over 13 thousand runs across Tests and ODIs. Rahim’s unbeaten 219 is his career-best innings so far. Rahim is a pivotal player for Bangladesh cricket in all three formats.

2. Walter Cornford

As per records, Walter Corford is the second shortest cricketer to ever play an official cricket match. After a mind-boggling domestic career, he was selected for the England national team and played a significant role during England’s tour to New Zealand in 1930. In the series, Cornford, involved in 5 catches and 3 stumpings, stood at 5’.

1.  Kruger van Wyk

South Africa-born Kruger van Wyk was the shortest ever cricketer, according to the record book. The wicketkeeper-batter with a 4’9” height had an impressive domestic career but was never called up for national duties for a long duration. Later, he represented New Zealand after playing for Northern (later known as Titans). Under his leadership Wizards won their first-ever Test Championship title. The former cricketer had played 9 Tests for New Zealand.  

Former Indian cricketer Kedar Jadhav has ventured into politics, officially joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday afternoon. The 40-year-old marked the beginning of his political career at the BJP headquarters in Nariman Point. Jadhav, who represented Maharashtra in domestic cricket and played for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, was inducted into the party in the presence of BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and senior leader Ashok Chavan.

The 40-year-old cricketer hails from Pune, Maharashtra. Throughout his career, the dynamic all-rounder featured in 73 One Day Internationals (ODIs), amassing 1,389 runs at an impressive average of 42.09. He also contributed with the ball, claiming 27 wickets in ODIs. In T20 Internationals, Jadhav played 9 matches and scored 122 runs. However, he never had the chance to represent India in Test cricket.

"I bow down to Chhatrapati Shivaji. Under (PM, Narendra) Modi ji and (Maharashtra) CM (Devendra) Fadnavis. The BJP is doing politics of development. With this said, I under Bawankule enter and join the BJP," Kedar Jadhav said after joining the BJP, India TV reported.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed his delight over the former Indian cricketer's decision to join the party. "It's a day of happiness for us. In all spheres of life, he has had an impact. I welcome him home. Besides him, several other people have also joined us from Hingoli and Nanded," Bawankule said.

Also Read: Sanath Jayasuriya seeks PM Modi’s support to establish International cricket Stadium in Jaffna

Several Cricketers have entered politics in the past

Before all-rounder Kedar Jadhav entered politics, several cricketers had already made the transition into the political arena. Navjot Singh Sidhu in Punjab, Yusuf Pathan, and West Bengal’s Sports Minister Manoj Tiwary are among those who have successfully ventured into politics. Former India opener and current head coach Gautam Gambhir also joined the BJP and won elections in Delhi but later stepped away from politics to focus on coaching.

Meanwhile, Yusuf Pathan joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baharampur in West Bengal. He achieved a notable victory, defeating senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury by a margin of 85,022 votes in a constituency traditionally considered a Congress stronghold.

2024 was replete with ups and downs for people who love Indian cricket. India didn't win the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, but they finally got their hands on the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy, with Rohit Sharma steering the team. This year, three iconic T20 players stopped playing, and more than seven Indian players stopped playing for their country at the international level.

Let's dive into who these players are.

1. Saurabh Tiwary (Retired from all formats)

Saurabh Tiwary, the man who swung his bat with his left hand and even scored 49 runs in three matches for India's ODI team in 2010, decided he had enough of professional cricket right after the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season wrapped up in February 2024. Tiwary made this choice because his performance wasn't to par at the local level anymore Tiwary, who had been part of the cricket world for 17 years materializing on the scene notably with Jharkhand in first-class cricket and remaining in the IPL till 2021 announced in 2024 that his cricket-playing days were over. That person who played for India in a few games said he is finished with playing professional cricket after being on the fields for nearly two decades.

2. Varun Aaron (Retired from all formats)

Varun Aaron from Jharkhand was very quick at bowling with his right arm. Aaron said goodbye to cricket at the close of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. People thought he was going to be great because he was very quick but he was often injured. Aaron managed to play in nine tests and nine ODIs for India between 2011 and 2015, and during that time, he took 29 wickets when playing against other countries.

ALSO READ:Gavaskar Backs Nitish Reddy Over Hardik Pandya as a Better Test Cricketer

3. Dinesh Karthik (Retired from all formats)

Dinesh Karthik retired from all forms of cricket international, domestic, and even the IPL after the IPL 2024 wrapped up. Karthik put an end to his impressive career. Starting way back in September 2004 playing for India, 2022 saw his last game during the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. Through it all, Karthik played in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20 games.Karthik did not simply play he scored a total of 3,463 runs that includes a century and 17 half-centuries.

4. Kedar Jadhav (Retired from all formats)

Kedar June 2024, Kedar Jadhav said he's retiring from all kinds of cricket; this person, who was 39, played several games for India - 73 ODIs and 9 T20Is to be exact. Jadhav was a solid player in the middle of the lineup who could also add some good spin bowling to the mix, catching 27 wickets in ODIs with an average score of 42. On top of that, he demonstrated his skills in 95 IPL games for five different teams, performing well both when hitting the ball and when throwing the ball.

5.Virat Kohli (Retired from T20Is)

In his last game for India in the tournament against South Africa, Virat Kohli shared that he was retiring from T20Is. Virat Kohli made a very big announcement after India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 he was stepping down from T20I cricket. Starting his T20I journey in 2010 against Zimbabwe, Kohli had a great series of performances. Over his career, he participated in 125 T20Is, scoring 4,188 runs, which averages out to 48.69 this includes hitting one hundred and 38 half-centuries. Kohli is considered a legendary cricketer around the world.

6. Rohit Sharma (Retired from T20Is)

After taking India to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma said goodbye to T20Is. This includes an amazing five hundreds, 32 fifties, and an incredible 205 sixes, setting the record for the most in T20Is. Many achievements made him the premier run-maker in T20I history when he decided to stop playing.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (Retired from T20Is)

Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20I cricket post the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, and he was an essential player for India for over ten years. Even though he wasn't the best in the tournament, his role playing both as a batter and a bowler was vitally important for India. Starting his journey in 2009, he participated in 74 T20Is, took 54 wickets with a decent economy rate of 7.13, and notched up 515 runs.

8. Shikhar Dhawan (Retired from all formats)

Shikhar Dhawan, a key player in India's win at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, said goodbye to cricket in all forms, the IPL included, in August 2024. Dhawan was last seen playing for India in December 2022. Dhawan's journey in international cricket began in 2010 and wrapped up in 2022; throughout his career, he played in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is.Dhawan scored a whopping 10,867 runs, with an average of 42.28. Also, he hit 24 hundreds and 55 fifties.

9. Barinder Sran (Retired from all formats)

Barinder Sran, who is a left-arm pace bowler from Punjab, chose to hang up his boots when he was 31 years old. When he first appeared on the international stage for India during a T20 match against Zimbabwe in June 2016, he did very well at the beginning bagging 4 wickets and giving up just 10 runs. This debut is still the top first-game showing by any Indian player in T20Is. Despite this spectacular beginning, he didn't become as famous or successful as everyone thought he would in international cricket. Over his career, he got to play in six One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a couple of T20 International matches, catching a total of 13 wickets.

10. Wriddhiman Saha (Retired from all formats)

Wriddhiman Saha, the person who kept wicket and hit runs for India, decided he was done playing cricket at every level on November 3, 2024. His plan was to stop playing cricket after the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season finished. Saha had his moments playing 40 tests and nine ODIs from 2010 to 2021, where he knocked 1,353 runs in tests which even included conjoining three whole centuries. Despite that, superstars like MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant often took the spotlight, leaving Saha's last match for India in 2021, playing against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium.

11. Siddarth Kaul (Retired from all formats)

Indian bowler Siddarth Kaul announced his retirement on November 28, 2024. Kaul, 34, represented India in three ODIs and three T20Is, taking four wickets in T20Is but none in ODIs.

12. Ravichandran Ashwin (Retired from all formats)

After the third test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane in 2024-25, Ravichandran Ashwin, who plays spin-bowling all-rounder for India, said he's retiring.  Ashwin first played in 2010 and has been in 106 tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is since then. Mr. Ashwin has gotten 537 players out in tests, 156 in ODIs, and 72 in T20Is. Ashwin didn't only throw -- he could bat, too, earning 3,503 runs in tests, including hitting six centuries and fourteen fifties. Something exceptionally wonderful about him?Ashwin's tied with Muttiah Muralitharan for getting the most Man of the Series awards in test cricket, which is 11 times.

2024 has indeed been a year of significant retirements in Indian cricket, marking the end of an era for some of the game's greatest players.

All-rounder Kedar Jadhav announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Monday, June 3. The Maharashtra batter took to social media to share a post reminiscent of MS Dhoni’s retirement note on Instagram. Jadhav, who has a close relationship with Dhoni, also shared a slideshow of career photos accompanied by a Kishore Kumar song.

“Thank you all for your love and support throughout my career from 1500 hrs. Consider me retired from all forms of cricket,” Kedar Jadhav announced in his post, confirming his retirement at 3 PM IST on Monday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kedar Mahadev Jadhav (@kedarjadhavofficial)

The announcement mirrored MS Dhoni’s retirement note. Dhoni had surprised his fans on August 15, 2020, with a similar two-line statement on Instagram, a year after his last international game for India at the 2019 World Cup in England.

“Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired (sic),” Dhoni had said, sharing a slideshow of career photos with one of his favorite songs, ‘Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shair Hoon,’ playing in the background.

Kedar Jadhav, who played 73 ODIs and 9 T20Is for India between 2014 and 2020, flourished under Dhoni’s captaincy, providing valuable off-spin. The 39-year-old was part of the team that reached the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.

Kedar Jadhav Shines in Maharashtra’s 2023-24 Ranji Trophy Campaign

Kedar Jadhav last played a competitive match in February, representing Maharashtra against Vidarbha in a Ranji Trophy game in Pune. He showcased impressive form, scoring 379 runs in 5 matches, including a century and a fifty, during Maharashtra’s 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign.

Jadhav was a consistent performer in domestic cricket, amassing 6100 runs in first-class cricket with 17 hundreds and 23 fifties, and 5520 runs in List-A cricket with 10 hundreds. He played 9 ODIs under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, having made his debut under Dhoni’s leadership.

SEE ALSO:Natasa restores wedding photos with Hardik Pandya amid separation rumours

Kedar Jadhav played 93 IPL matches, scoring 1196 runs. He was part of the Chennai Super Kings team that won the IPL title in 2018. Jadhav also played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2010, Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011, and returned to Delhi between 2013 and 2015.

Jadhav last played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2023, a team he also represented in 2016 and 2017.

Royal Challengers Bangalore are set to confront Lucknow Super Giants in the 43rd match of IPL 2023 on Monday. A significant update regarding the RCB team has surfaced prior to the game. 

Kedar Jadhav will take the place of England’s star all-rounder David Willey for the remainder of the season

Jadhav has been packed away by RCB for Rs 1 crore. He made his IPL debut with Delhi Thrill seekers in 2010, he has so far played 93 IPL games and scored 1196 runs. Jadhav was acquired by Chennai Super Kings after playing 17 games for RCB in the 2016-17 season. Jadhav addressed Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2021 version of the competition. He stayed unsold in the barterings for the next two seasons.

Then again, Willey played four counterparts for RCB this season and scalped three wickets. Willey’s absence from the remaining matches has not been explained. Willey was picked by RCB in the 2022 uber closeout for Rs 2 crore.

 RCB has won two of the three IPL matches played by both teams so far, while LSG has only won one. LSG stole the victory from RCB in the previous game. RCB will need to quickly return and dominate the following match.

Lucknow Super Giants Squad: KL Rahul(c), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran(w), Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Quinton de Kock, Krishnappa Gowtham, Swapnil Singh, Prerak Mankad, Daniel Sams, Romario Shepherd, Arpit Guleria, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Karan Sharma

Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad: Virat Kohli(c), Shahbaz Ahmed, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik(w), Suyash Prabhudessai, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kedhar Jadhav, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, Akash Deep, Karn Sharma, Finn Allen, Anuj Rawat, Michael Bracewell, Siddarth Kaul, Sonu Yadav, Manoj Bhandage, Wayne Parnell, Rajan Kumar, Avinash Singh, Himanshu Sharma