In India, cricket is not just a sport; it is an emotion and sentiment of many people. It is impossible for anyone in India not to know the game. Not only adults but even teens carry the same craze for the game.

But despite all these, there are still several facts and mysteries that we may not know.

So why not? Let’s unravel all those mysteries here in this blog. In this guide I’ve shared 7 less-known but interesting facts about cricket that you should know. So, read the blog to learn more.

Less Known but Interesting Facts about Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar Was the First Player to Be Declared Out by a Third Umpire

Do you know this interesting fact about Sachin Tendulkar?

He was the first player to be declared out by the third umpire. Sachin Tendulkar was condemned run-out by the TV Umpire Karl Liebenberg in the year 1992 during his tour to South Africa.

The incident took place in the first test match, and Jonty Rhode was responsible for the execution, which was one of the most significant decisions in the history of cricket. After this decision, there was relief, and there appeared the need for several sports technology advancements to help with fair umpiring decisions in the favour of both the umpire and the players.

Chris Gayle Is the Only Batsman to Hit a Six off the First Ball of a Test Match

Do you know the renowned cricket player and a famous personality whose name is also on the IPL orange cap winners list for the years 2011 and 2012, Chris Gayle? In the history of cricket, no other player has emerged to hit the six off the first ball of a test match, but Chris Gayle achieved this with his adorable and breathtaking skills and performance. It is also proof that no player is less or more than any other player; everyone is unique in their way.

Narendra Modi Stadium Is the Largest Stadium in the World

Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in India, which was previously known as the Sardar Patel Stadium, is located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and is the largest cricket stadium in India and the entire world. The Stadium boasts a seating capacity of around 1,32,000 seats for spectators, offering a field size of around 160 metres by 140 metres. It even surpasses the Melbourne Stadium, which is located in Australia and has a seating capacity of 100,000 seats.

Women’s Cricket Team Played the First Cricket World Cup in History

The phrase might give goosebumps to all the females reading this blog. The first World Cup in the history of cricket was played by women and not men, which predated two years before men arrived on the field. In 1973, the inaugural Women’s World Cup was held and hosted by England. Later, in the year 1975, the Men’s Cricket World Cup was followed in England and was won by the West Indies. This highlights the role of women’s cricket in establishing the World Cup tradition.

Shahid Afridi Used Sachin Tendulkar’s Bat to Hit an ODI Century

It’s not a myth, but the energy passes, and this was proved by Shahid Afridi, who used Sachin Tendulkar’s bat to hit a century in a One Day International Match. Shahid Afridi was flown into the play for the Pakistan team from West Indies to Nairobi in the year 1996.

He also didn’t have any proper bat during that time, and this is when Waqar Younis handed over the bat to the young Afridi. After receiving the bat, Afridi hit eleven sixes and six boundaries and scored a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka, which was the fastest ODI century ever in history.

India Is the Only Country in the World to Lift 60,50 and 20 Over World Cups Formats

A source of pride for our country is that India is the only country in the entire world to hold world cups in different formats, such as 60, 50, and 20 overs. It has a record of winning world cups in three different formats: sixty over, fifty over, and twenty over. The first World Cup lifted by India was in 1983 under Kapil Dev’s Captaincy. In 2007, it won the inaugural T20 World Cup in Cricket. After a long gap, India again clinched the World Cup for fifty overs in the year 2011, when M.S Dhoni was the captain.

Shoaib Akhtar Delivered the Fastest Bowling

Shoaib Akhtar is known for his bowling skills and recorded history by delivering the fastest ball in the history of cricket, 161.3 km/hr. His nickname is Rawalpindi Express, and he was named after the quickest ball delivery ever in the year 2003, during the Cricket World Cup against England. His name is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for this achievement.