5 Indian players who could have broken many records had they been openers

Published - 27 Jul 2025, 13:00 IST | Updated - 27 Jul 2025, 13:20 IST

In Indian cricket, due to the immense competition, several talented players never got the chance to open the innings. While some excelled in the middle order and made the position their own, others were sidelined in no time. Opening provides more time to settle, assess the conditions, and dominate.

Rohit Sharma is a classic example of what can happen when such an opportunity is seized. He began his career as a middle-order batter, but after being promoted to open during the 2013 Champions Trophy, his career graph went high. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the finest white-ball openers of all time.

Yuvraj Singh, considered as one of the finest middle-order batter of his generation, might have broken many more records had he opened the innings for India. Known for his elegant batting, Yuvraj often walked in during high-pressure situations and sometimes did not get enough deliveries to fully express himself. As an opener, he could have shown his aggressive game from the very start. Meanwhile, Yuvraj was also a pleasing player to watch and could play conventional shots. However, he was often forced to accelerate considering the fewer number of balls remaining during the fag end of the innings.

With a brilliant white-ball career that includes 8701 ODI runs, 111 wickets, and the Player of the Tournament award in India’s 2011 World Cup-winning campaign, Yuvraj is one of the most impactful players in India’s cricket history. While he showed his brilliance in white-ball cricket, he could not replicate the same in Test cricket. With the line-up being filled with stalwarts, the southpaw often warmed the bench. Had he been tried at the top, he could have performances in a similar manner in the longest format of the game.