
Biography
Anil Kumble (born 17 October 1970) is a former Indian cricketer and one of the greatest leg-spinners in cricket history. He is India's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 619 wickets — the fourth-highest in the history of the game. He is also the third-highest wicket-taker in international cricket across all formats with 956 wickets.
Born in Bangalore, Karnataka, Kumble showed early talent for cricket and was selected for Karnataka's Ranji Trophy team at a young age. He made his international debut in 1990 and quickly became India's premier spinner. His accuracy, variations, and ability to extract bounce from any surface made him a formidable bowler.
Kumble's most famous achievement came on February 7, 1999, when he took all 10 wickets in a single innings against Pakistan in Delhi — only the second bowler in cricket history to achieve this feat (after Jim Laker). He finished with match figures of 10 for 74 in that innings.
Over his 18-year career, Kumble took 619 Test wickets, 337 ODI wickets, and was a dependable lower-order batsman. He served as captain of the Indian cricket team in 2007-08. After retirement, he became the chairman of the International Cricket Council's Cricket Committee and served as India's head coach in 2016-17.
Awards & Honours
Bharat Ratna (2023), Padma Shri (2005), Padma Vibhushan (2015), Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1996)
