For Indians, ‘Cricket’ is not just a game but an emotion and dream of 140 crore people. It is a game people follow religiously, and the World Cups and the IPL are considered festivals. Cricket’s played in every corner of the streets of India, and it is a dream, an aspiration for children to play cricket internationally. Indian Cricketers are an inspiration to many people. However, people only get to know them on-field. Their off-field journey is often untold, and many of them have written books of their journey to have made it big. Here are the ‘Top 10’ autobiographies and biographies of Indian Cricketers.
1. Playing It My Way
Since cricket is a religion in India, the ‘God’ of Cricket is Sachin Tendulkar. ‘Playing It My Way’ is an autobiography of the legend himself. The book describes his journey from his debut in international cricket to his final farewell at the Wankhede stadium. This book, written by the Bharat Ratna, has a rating of 4.5 and is a best-seller.
2. A Century Is Not Enough
‘A Century Is Not Enough: My roller-coaster Ride to Success’ is an autobiography based on the life of Saurav Ganguly, the former Indian captain. The book describes the ups and downs he faced in his career, from his debut in international cricket, the World Cups, his exit from cricket, and his powerful comeback, and it has a rating of 4.5
3. Believe
‘Believe: What Life and Cricket Taught Me’ is an autobiography of the former Indian Cricketer Suresh Raina. Bharat Sundaresan is the co-author of the book. It is a valuable book that describes his journey as a young cricketer. It also has some invaluable life lessons that he has learned through his journey.
4. Yuvraj Singh: The Test Of My Life
‘The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back’ is an autobiography based on the life of Yuvraj Singh. Sharda Ugra and Nishant Jeet Arora are co-authors of the book. This book has two stories - Yuvraj Singh, the cricketer and a role model, and the second part is his battle against cancer. It also has a rating of 4.5
5. 281 And Beyond
‘281 and Beyond’ is an autobiography written by VVS Laxman. R Kaushik is the co-author of the book. VVS Laxman is renowned for his historic knock of 281 against Australia. The book contains many events from the author’s life and his learnings from the unpleasant situations that Team India went through. An inspiring read for aspirational cricketers.
6. Straight from the Heart
‘Straight from the Heart’ is an autobiography written by the former Captain of the Indian team, Kapil Dev. The first captain to bring the World Cup in 1983 published this autobiography in 2004. It is a motivational and encouraging book, a must-read for all cricket fans, with a 3.5 rating.
7. Sunny Days
‘Sunny Days’ is an autobiography penned by the former Indian Captain, Sunil Gavaskar. The book is in chronological order, series by series. It was published in 1976. It is a great read to know about how different cricket was in the 70s when there was no DRS system used.
8. Chase Your Dreams
‘Chase Your Dreams’ is another autobiography of the master blaster - Sachin Tendulkar. This autobiography describes his life as a kid and how he chose cricket. He is an inspiration for many young children, and this book may help them, motivate, and inspire them through the journeys and events in the book.
9. Wide Angle
‘Wide Angle’ is an autobiography of Anil Kumble. He is one of the greatest players, with eight 10-wicket hauls in his entire career. Kumble is highly passionate about photography as well. In this book, we get to see many of the photographs he has captured, be it on the field, off-field, inside the dressing room, and from his travels.
10. Imperfect
‘Imperfect’ is an autobiography of Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricketer. This book is about Manjrekar’s life, career, success and failures, and strengths and weaknesses. He writes about his experiences, learnings, and his obsession with perfection. This book is not just for cricket lovers; it is for everyone, as it has invaluable life lessons.
