5 most loved Indian cricketers in Bangladesh

Bangladesh have their own cricket stars to cherish. Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are most loved cricketers in the country along with Mashrafe Mortaza. Once there was a time when they had Mohammad Ashraful. But the talented batsman lost his dignity due to his involvement in the match-fixing scandal. And there are a few others local cricketers who have been adored in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh have passed a tough route in one-day cricket. Finally, they are enjoying the tag of a strong ODI team as they played a quarter-final in the 2015 World Cup. And right after that, they won one-day series against teams like India, Pakistan and South Africa.

So, despite having their own cricket stars, the love of Bangladeshi cricket fans is not to be confined in boundaries. If you spend an evening in Dhaka, you definitely hear the names of many foreign cricketers.

India, a neighbouring country of Bangladesh, have produced many legendary cricketers. There are quite a few Indian cricketers who are adored globally. In the words of a Bangladeshi writer, here are five of the most loved Indian cricketers in Bangladesh.

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#5 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has been in astonishing form against Bangladesh across all formats

Virat Kohli is one of the most loved Indian cricketers in Bangladesh. He has been showing unbelievable batting talent for a long time now. So, there is no wonder that he has a lot of fans in Bangladesh. Kohli started his career with a ODI in 2008. Since then, he has been playing a pivotal rule in Indian batting lineup.

The Indian captain has played a total of 17 international matches against Bangladesh and scored 1039 runs at an impressive average of 79.92. He registered four centuries against the neighbouring country as well. Many young cricketers in Bangladesh idolize Kohli as the batsman.

#4 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is renowned globally for his elegant batting

Rohit Sharma is the epitome of a hard-hitting modern day batsman. It is impossible to find a country who know cricket and don't love Rohit. He is the only batsman to score three double tons in ODIs.

Rohit started his career back in 2007 in an ODI against Ireland at Belfast. Since his debut, he has been an integral part of India's limited-overs set-up. He has been showing unbeatable limited-over prowess as he struck four T20I centuries to go along with those numerous ODI tons.

The right-handed batsman is a big reason behind IPL's popularity in Bangladesh as he captains Mumbai Indians in the competition. He has played 21 international matches against Bangladesh and scored 918 runs in an average of 48.31. He has two centuries and six fifties against the Tigers. But such a stellar record never prevents a Bangladeshi supporter to applaud for his success.

#3 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh shares a close bond with Mashrafe Mortaza

Maybe, Yuvraj Singh is not under consideration anymore for the Indian cricket team as he is now 36 years old. His recent form is not great as well. But the Indian cricket fraternity will not forget his name as he was the hero when they lifted the World Cup for the second time in 2011. The left-handed all-rounder played a central role to win the World Cup for India at home.

Yuvraj is adored in Bangladesh - firstly for his all-round cricketing abilities and secondly for his friendship with Mashrafe Mortaza during his early cricketing days. It is famous in Bangladesh that Yuvraj wanted Mashrafe to play for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2008. However, KKR bought him for a hefty sum.

Yuvraj played 21 international matches against Bangladesh and scored 440 runs in an average of 31.42 with one century and one fifty to his name.

#2 Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly is the most accomplished cricketer to emerge from Bengal

During the early part of this century, Bangladesh had nothing much to cheer in cricket. They were struggling to find a place in the cricketing world. But, during the same time, a Bengali was the captain of Indian cricket team. Sourav Ganguly has countless supporters in Bangladesh just for his Bengali identity.

The popularity of Ganguly rose further when Bangladesh played their first ever Test in 2000 and Sourav led the Indian side. During that time, Bangladesh used see the left-hander as another Bengali who played at the highest level of cricket.

In Bangladesh, you often notice cricket-loving people identify Ganguly as their own folk. The visionary skipper also loves Bangladesh as he said it many times during his tours to the country.

The Prince of Calcutta played 15 matches against Bangladesh and scored 830 runs in an average of 59.28 with two centuries and seven fifties to his name.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar holds almost every batting record in the game

Sachin Tendulkar, the biggest super star that cricket has ever had, is one of the most loved cricketers around the globe. In India, he is often considered more influential than the game of cricket itself. The sentiment is not too different in Bangladesh as well.

Tendulkar scored the most Test and ODI runs in a memorable career spanning 24 years. Watching the partnerships of Sachin and Sourav were must-see affairs for many Bangladeshis during the first decade of this century.

Tendulkar played an important role in cricket's popularity in Bangladesh. Many potential cricketers around the country continue to idolize the batting icon. The stalwart played 19 of his 664 international matches against the Tigers and scored 1316 runs with six tons and two fifties. He struck his famous 100th international ton at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Hence, Bangladesh is also a pleasing memory to the Master Blaster.