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Cricket has taken a wild turn since the turn of the millennium. The introduction of T20 cricket and the emergence of a branch of franchise cricket have made the sport more convoluted than ever, with shifting priorities. The sport has been a slow gradation from tradition to modernity over the last 25 years, although the former still holds a place in the current scheme of things and is valued, albeit a bit differently.
Amid this gradual shift, the cricketers that have thrived in this phase are also of a diverse breed. T20 cricket's prominence means that it has to be equally considered along with the longer formats of the game, bringing some of the new-age players into the conversation.
With the conversation just being about the 21st century, it need not be said that only contributions since 2000 will be considered. As a result, there is a mixture of active and retired players in the mix. The players who played their entire career in the 21st century had to witness how the game changed, and had to adapt accordingly, making their presence laudable.
Given that all three formats were in play in such a competitive era, there were far too many candidates who had a serious case of breaking it into the top 10. However, some of those failed to make it due to a wide array of reasons like one of their formats being weaker than the rest or simply because they have not played enough when compared to others among additional variety of reasons. Some of those players include - Rashid Khan, Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Jasprit Bumrah, David Warner, MS Dhoni and Hashim Amla
On that note, let us rank the 10 greatest men's cricketers of the 21st century.
#10 AB de Villiers
One of the earliest certified all-format players, AB de Villiers left a lasting legacy that arguably could have been a lot more. The South African batter had a tricky start to his career, but grew comfortable as the game evolved to match his style of batting. The introduction of T20 cricket was a game-changer for him as he flourished in the fast-paced format, using his ability to access the entire field and be regarded as one of the format's greatest.
While his T20I numbers may not suggest the same, the best of his displays came in franchise cricket. Furthermore, his legacy is attached to some of his recent exploits which include whirlwind tons. However, he was a vital cog in the South Africa middle-order in the longer formats since the mid-2000s and was capable of playing across all gears with equal efficiency.
He held an average of over 50 in both Tests and ODIs and played a massive role in popularising the shortest format, and being the flag bearer amid its exponential growth. In addition to his batting exploits, he led South Africa across formats and was also one of the best fielders that the game has seen.
#9 Joe Root
Making headlines recently for slowly climbing up the run-scorers list, Root might also climb up the list for the greatest cricketers of this century by the time he is done with his playing career. He overshadowed Alastair Cook to be England's leading run-scorer in Tests with 12,000 runs, and with a decent white-ball career to go along with it, became the first from his country to record 20,000 international runs.
The fact that aids Root is that all of his exploits have come in this century itself. He has been involved in a tight race alongside his peers, most notably the Fab Four, but has managed to leave them in the dust when it comes to red-ball cricket. While a drastic difference in the number of appearances have played a role, his consistency and hunger are commendable, and worthy of his presence in the list of the best players this century.
#8 Dale Steyn
The presence of Dale Steyn on the list despite having an injury-riddled career speaks volumes. Holding the No.1 rank spot in Tests for bowlers for 263 weeks, Steyn was a force to be reckoned with and a gifted pacer.
Possessing all the tools to succeed, right from a fluid action to raw pace to impeccable bowling areas, Steyn made use of it to churn out wickets. He is arguably a bowler who cannot be judged solely by numbers, but to his credit, his stats are quite notable, with the only despair being that it could have been much more.
He finished one short of 700 international wickets, boasting averages of 22.95, 25.95, and 18.32 in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is respectively.
#7 Sachin Tendulkar
The year 2000 marked close to the midway mark of Sachin's career, which spanned from 1989 to 2013. The first half of his career witnessed him settling into international cricket, slowly evolving into the red-ball middle order and a white-ball opening batter.
By 2000 he had attained superstar status and the leadership responsibility of the Indian team as well. The following decade saw him maintain an average of over 50 in Tests and be the second-highest run-scorer in ODIs, behind Ponting. Even in the final stages of his career, he was among the runs, which include a prolific 2011 ODI World Cup campaign, and several notable knocks in red-ball cricket.
#6 James Anderson
The leading wicket-taking pacer in the history of Test cricket, all of Anderson's scalps came in the 21st century. He had a spirited white-ball career as well, but it dwarfs in comparison with his red-ball career, which in itself is something that might never be replicated.
He cemented his legacy as one of the finest exponents of swing bowling, and his longevity contributes a lot to his greatness, helping him set apart from his peers. With close to 1000 wickets across formats, Anderson was a match-winner for England, practically unplayable and consistent on home turf when it came to Tests.
#5 Jacques Kallis
One of the greatest all-rounders to grace the game, Kallis dominated the 2000s, being the second-highest run-getter in Tests and the fifth-highest in ODIs. He was also a strong presence in the following decade, during the twilight of his career.
Being heavily among both runs and wickets in his career since 2000 has helped him become one of the best cricketers this century, and the undisputed greatest all-rounder across formats.
#4 Kumar Sangakkara
Another prolific run-scorer, Sangakkara's career began in 2000, meaning that all of his exploits, including the 27,000 international runs he piled, came in this century. Being one of the highest scorers in the sport and possessing a style of batting rife with flair and class, the left-handed batter has been a legend.
He finished with a Test average of 57, finishing up with well over 10,000 runs in both the longer formats. The Sri Lankan also had a decent T20I career, but chose to pave way for the next generation in 2014, before eventually quitting all formats soon after.
His contributions as a wicket-keeper and captain of the Sri Lanka team across formats only add more to his glory.
#3 Ricky Ponting
The highest run-scorer in international cricket in the first decade of the 21st century, Ponting topped the scoring charts in both formats. He scored close to 5000 runs heading into the 2000s, and dominated the next decade to amass 18962 runs to cement his status as one of the greatest cricketers of the 21st century.
His peak came throughout the 2000s where he ascended into captaincy, and bagged ICC awards on a consistent basis. He was crowned as the Test player three times in 2003, 2004, and 2006, narrowly missing out on winning the award four times in a row.
He then won the Player of the Year award in 2006 and 2007 to mark a memorable run of form, which included his glorious run as Australia captain as well.
#2 Muttiah Muralitharan
Over two-thirds of the legendary Sri Lankan spinner's 800 Test wicket tally came in the 21st century, naturally making him the leading wicket-taker in the 2000s. A similar trend can be noted when it comes to his ODI career as well, where the 2000s accounted for 335 of his 534 scalps.
A gifted wicket-taker, Muralitharan was the spearhead of Sri Lanka's spin bowling unit for an entire generation, and as his wickets tally suggest, the best of him came in the 21st century. Being the leading wicket-taker across both formats is a substantial effort, and with the world witnessing the majority of his greatness after 2000, it seems fair that he is considered one of the best of the entire century so far.
#1 Virat Kohli
A prolific run-scorer and a generational batter, Virat Kohli matched a level of consistency that was never thought of before. The right-handed batter holds a high average across all three formats, and given his fitness and hunger, the general feeling is that there is more to come.
He parted ways with T20Is, ending as the second-highest run-scorer in the format of all time. His penchant for run chases and ODIs are well documented, while his recent Test form is a slight blemish, it is not concerning enough to undermine his red-ball legacy.
Apart from his batting, he has done a lot for his nation and the game with his captaincy as well as his advocating for red-ball cricket in the modern era.
