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Cricket is often regarded as a game of skill and determination above physical traits. Physical appearance has never truly been a problem for any player because their strength and passion for cricket are enough to achieve success.
The world has seen the shortest cricketer to the tallest one, who has performed exceptionally well at every level in cricket. The God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, is a classic example of how dedication matters more than physical structure.
Apart from him, there are several talented players who have a huge impact on the field despite their short height. This article highlights those players who are named the shortest cricketers in the world.
Top 10 Shortest Cricketers of All Time
1. Kruger van Wyk – 4 feet 9 inches from New Zealand
The shortest cricketer in the world to play at the international level is Kruger van Wyk, known for excellent wicket-keeping and batting. His height was well below 5 ft, making him the only cricketer in history to feature in international cricket while standing under that mark. He represented the Black Caps in 9 Test matches and managed to score 341 runs for the side.
2. Tich Cornford – 5 feet 0 inches from England
Tich Cornford is the second shortest cricketer. He is a well-known English wicketkeeper. He was part of the 4 test matches and managed to score 36 runs in international cricket. His incredible performance and consistency made him a legendary cricketer who scored 6554 runs in 496 first-class matches.
3. Mushfiqur Rahim – 5 feet 4 inches from Bangladesh
Mushfiqur Rahim is a pillar of Bangladesh and a stunning wicketkeeper as well as a batter. His consistency is reflected in the matches he has played and the runs he has scored, such as 6007 runs in 94 tests, 7793 runs in 272 ODIs, and 1500 runs in 102 T20Is. Rahim's height never came up as a barrier for him to carry out cricketing skills.
4. Mominul Haque – 5 feet 3 inches from Bangladesh
Mominul Haque is also the shortest cricketer in Bangladesh. He was a highly dependable part of Bangladesh’s Test side in the past because of his thrilling performance in the pressurised situations. He played several matches where he scored 4412 runs in 68 tests, 557 runs in 28 ODIs, and 60 runs in 6 T20Is, despite being short.
5. Gundappa Vishwanath – 5 feet 3 inches from India
The first Indian to appear as the shortest cricketer is Gundappa Vishwanath. His trademark wristwork during the late 1970s made him a legendary batter. Vishwanath was an integral part of the Indian Test side in that era. He was featured in 91 tests in which he scored 6,080 runs for India and also 439 runs in 25 ODIs, clearly showcasing his ability and elegance as a top-level batter in international cricket.
6. Parthiv Patel – 5 feet 3 inches from India
Parthiv Patel is another Indian name, the shortest cricketer listed at the sixth position. He became a hot topic for every Indian because he debuted at a very early age. He was 17 years old when he played his first match and represented India in 25 tests (934) and 38 ODIs (736). His ability was showcased in the runs scored by him in tests and ODIs.
7. Prithvi Shaw – 5 feet 4 inches from India
Prithvi Shaw rightly finds his place in the shortest cricketer list. The young Indian batter brought a lot of promise to the game because of his fearless strokeplay and attacking mindset. Prithvi Shaw's height did not stop him from making an early impact at the international level and playing a handful of matches for India. He scored 339 runs in 5 tests and 189 runs in 6 ODIs. Prithvi Shaw's height is just a number, but not a barrier for him.
8. Kedar Jadhav – 5 feet 4 inches from India
Kedar Jadhav is an unorthodox off-spinner. He is short in height but a very energetic player. He made his debut in an international match in 2014. He delivered several match-winning performances for India. One of the knocks on his career was when he made a memorable century against England. He was a part of the World Cup squad for India in 2019.
9. Temba Bavuma - 5 feet 3 inches from South Africa
Temba Bavuma's height in ft is 5 and 3 inches, so he is listed as the shortest cricketer. He played 59 tests, scoring 3102 runs; 42 ODIs, scoring 1611 runs; and 36 T20Is, scoring 670 runs for the Proteas. He was once dropped from the team due to poor batting, but later he came back as the strongest player and is currently playing the longest format of cricket for the Proteas. In the modern cricket fraternity, Bavuma's height in ft has often been the most discussed topic. But his dedication and determination made him a stronger player.
10. Sunil Gavaskar - 5 feet 5 inches from India
Sunil Gavaskar's height made him the shortest cricketer. He is one of the leading batters the world has ever seen. He fearlessly faced the fast bowlers and lit up the match ground. He scored 10,122 runs in 125 tests and 3,092 runs in 108 ODIs. Sunil Gavaskar's height never stopped him from scoring more than 10,000 runs in his career, and he became the first batter to get that many runs in international cricket. He became the greatest of all time because of his exceptional technique and immense mental patience.
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