From Lord’s glory to debut dreams: Why June is special for Indian Cricket
June has been precious for Indian cricket with India lifting two ICC titles and four Indian batters debuting in Test cricket.
June and Indian cricket
The month of June has given Indian cricket some of its iconic moments, like winning the 1983 ODI World Cup on June 25 and lifting the 2024 T20 World Cup on June 29. However, in Indian Test cricket, June 20 holds a special value as four Indian (three legendary) batters debuted on that day. Let's see who the four batters were.
Sai Sudharsan – June 20, 2025
Sai Sudharsan lived his cricket dream on June 20, 2025, making his Test debut at Headingley against England. The 23-year-old from Tamil Nadu batter received his Test cap (317) from Cheteshwar Pujara.
Sourav Ganguly – June 20, 1996
Sourav Ganguly made a golden Test debut at Lord’s in London on June 20, 1996. The elegant left-hander scored a superb 131 against England, announcing his arrival in style.
Rahul Dravid – June 20, 1996
Rahul Dravid began his Test career at Lord’s alongside Ganguly on June 20, 1996. Known later as 'The Wall', Dravid impressed everyone with a solid 95, missing his maiden Test century by just five runs.
Virat Kohli – June 20, 2011
Virat Kohli’s Test journey began on June 20, 2011, against West Indies at Kingston Oval in Jamaica. It wasn’t a dream debut as he scored only 19 runs, but it marked the first step of a career that redefined Indian cricket in the years to come.
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