Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a former South African international cricketer. AB de Villiers was named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year three times during his 15-year international career and was one of the five Wisden cricketers of the decade at the end of 2019. He is regarded as one of the greatest cricketers in the history of the sport and the best batsman of his era. AB de Villiers began his international career as a wicket-keeper-batsman, but he has played most often solely as a batsman. He batted at various positions in the batting order, but predominantly in the middle-order. Regarded as one of the most innovative and destructive batsmen in the modern era, as well as one of the greatest of all time, de Villiers is known for a range of unorthodox shots, particularly behind the wicket-keeper. He made his international debut in a Test match against England in 2004 and first played a One Day International (ODI) in early 2005. His debut in Twenty20 International cricket came in 2006. He scored over 8,000 runs in both Test and ODI cricket and is one of the very few batsmen to have a batting average of over fifty in both forms of the game. In limited overs cricket, he is an attacking player. He holds the record for the fastest ODI century in just 31 balls.
Hashim Mohammad Amla OIS is a South African former cricketer who played for South Africa in all three formats of the game. Amla holds the record for being the fastest ever to score 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 ODI runs. He also became the fastest cricketer to reach 10 ODI centuries. Amla is an occasional off break bowler, and was South Africa's Test captain from June 2014 to January 2016.
Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer and the former captain of the Indian national cricket team who plays as a right-handed batsman for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and for the Delhi in Indian domestic cricket. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Kohli holds the records for scoring most runs in T20 internationals and in the IPL. In 2020, the International Cricket Council named him the male cricketer of the decade. Kohli has also contributed to a number of India's successes, including winning the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions trophy.
Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane is an Indian international cricketer and former captain of Indian team in Test Cricket, who has played for Indian cricket team in all formats as a batsman. He currently captains Mumbai in Ranji trophy. Rahane plays primarily as a middle-order batsman in the Test format and as a top-order batsman in white-ball forms of the game.
The Australian cricket team toured India from 12 February to 26 March 2013, played a four-match Test series against India. During the 1st Test, Mahendra Singh Dhoni set the highest score by an Indian Test captain, scoring 224 runs, beating the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar. India won the four Test series in a 4–0 whitewash to win the Border–Gavaskar Trophy. This was first time Australia lost a test series 4-0 after their defeat against South Africa in 1970.
The Australia national cricket team toured India between 10 October to 2 November 2013, playing a Twenty20 International match and seven-match One Day International series against India. Due to an ongoing back injury, Australian captain Michael Clarke was replaced by Callum Ferguson and George Bailey captained the side. During the second ODI match, all of the first five Australian batsmen made a score of fifty or more, a feat which no side had previously done. In the second match, India chased down the target of 360 runs to win, making this the second highest run-chase to win an ODI game. Two weeks later in the sixth match, India again chased down the Australian total of 350 runs to record the third highest run-chase to win a game. Coincidentally, all three highest run chases had come against Australia. In the seventh and final match, Indian batsman Rohit Sharma became the third man to make a double-century in ODI cricket, when he scored 209 from 158 balls. His innings included 16 sixes, the most in an ODI innings beating the previous record of 15 held by Australian cricketer Shane Watson. The record was later broken by England's Eoin Morgan who hit 17 sixes against Afghanistan in 2019.
The Indian cricket team toured South Africa from 5 to 30 December 2013, playing three One Day Internationals (ODI) and the two Test matches against the hosts. The Indian team was led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni while South Africa was captained by AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith. The tour began with the three-match ODI series, with South Africa winning the series 2–0. Quinton de Kock, South Africa's wicket-keeper became the fifth player to score three centuries in consecutive innings of ODIs. South Africa won the Test series 1–0, the first Test ending in a draw. Jacques Kallis, the country's most prolific run-scorer in Tests, announced his retirement from the format after the second Test at Durban.
The Indian cricket team toured Australia from 24 November 2014 to 10 January 2015. The tour consisted of two tour matches and four Test matches. The first Test was originally scheduled on 4 December in Brisbane, but it was postponed because of the death of Phillip Hughes. Instead, Adelaide hosted the first Test from 9 December and the Brisbane hosted the second Test from 17 December. Following the draw in the third Test, Indian captain MS Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. After the draw in the final Test in Sydney, Australia won the series 2–0. Following the Test matches, Australia and India participated in the Carlton Mid Triangular Series with the England cricket team.
The West Indies cricket team toured South Africa from 10 December 2014 to 28 January 2015. The tour consisted of three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), three Test matches and five One Day Internationals (ODIs). With South Africa's 2–0 win in the Test series, they retained the number one position in the Test rankings.
The Sri Lanka cricket team toured India from 30 October to 16 November 2014 for five One Day Internationals (ODIs) after the abandonment of the West Indies tour of India due to a pay dispute. India won the series 5–0 their fourth 5-0 whitewash in ODI history. It is also Sri Lanka's first 0-5 whitewash loss.
The England cricket team toured South Africa from 15 December 2015 to 21 February 2016. The tour consisted of four Test matches, five One Day International and two Twenty20 International matches. England won the Test series 2–1. South Africa won the ODI series 3–2 and the T20I series 2–0.
Pool B of the 2015 Cricket World Cup took place from 15 February to 15 March 2015. The group consisted of India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Zimbabwe, West Indies and South Africa. This phase of the tournament was played as a full round-robin amongst all seven teams, with India, South Africa, Pakistan and West Indies advancing to the quarter-finals.
The Indian cricket team toured the West Indies for a four-match Test series. Prior to the four Test matches, there were two tour matches. The tour coincided with the 2016 Caribbean Premier League. This was the first bilateral tour between the two sides since the West Indies pulled out of the previous tour in October 2014.
The English cricket team toured India between November 2016 and January 2017 to play five Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the dates of the tour in July 2016. India last hosted a five-Test series in 1986–87 against Pakistan.
The New Zealand cricket team toured India in September and October 2016 to play three Test matches and five One Day Internationals (ODIs). India won the Test series 3–0 and the ODI series 3–2.
The Australian cricket team toured India in February and March 2017 playing four Test matches. India won the series 2–1. With the series victory, India held all the series titles against all of the other Test sides at the same time.
The Sri Lanka cricket team toured India in November and December 2017. The original schedule had the tour consisting of three Tests, five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty20 International (T20I) match starting in February 2018.
The South Africa cricket team toured India in September and October 2019 to play three Tests and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. The Test series formed part of the inaugural 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship.
The India cricket team toured Australia from November 2020 to January 2021 to play four Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. The Test series formed part of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship, and the ODI series formed part of the inaugural ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.
The final of the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship, the inaugural ICC World Test Championship, was played from 18 to 23 June 2021 at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, England, between India and New Zealand. It was initially scheduled for five days, but time lost during the game to rain interruptions meant that the planned reserve day was used. New Zealand won the match by eight wickets to be crowned as the winners of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. New Zealand won the ICC Test Championship mace for the first time, and were also awarded the cash prize of US$1.6 million, while India won US$800,000.
