IPL 2020: Looking back at the IPL careers of India's Fab 4
In the early 2000s, the quartet of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman ruled the cricket world with their terrific batting skills. With over 45,000 Test runs between them, this elite group earned the nickname ‘India’s Fab 4’. The four batsmen formed the backbone of the Indian team.
Tendulkar and Ganguly achieved more success in the ODI format, while Dravid and Laxman established themselves as Test specialists. All four players did not play in the T20 World Cup 2007 but they did take part in multiple seasons of the IPL. Apart from Tendulkar, all the other players were a part of two franchises during their career in the cash-rich league.
Also Read - IPL History: All-time best retired XI
While they have retired from all forms of cricket now, here’s a look at the statistical analysis of their IPL careers.
Sachin Tendulkar
Hailed as the 'God of Cricket' by many, Sachin Tendulkar represented his home franchise, Mumbai Indians, throughout his IPL career. As per many reports, Tendulkar was the one who suggested the name Mumbai Indians for the franchise (the officials had planned to name it Mumbai Razors).
Talking about his IPL career, the Little Master took time to get settled in this format for two years, but in 2010 and 2011, he dominated the opposition bowlers. The right-handed batsman won the Orange Cap award in 2010 with 618 runs in 15 matches while in 2011, he led his team from the front with 553 runs in 16 matches.
He ended his IPL career with a title win in 2013 and by then, he had played 78 matches, scoring 2,334 runs at an average of 34.83. Also, he registered one century and 13 fifties in IPL, with his highest score being 100*.
VVS Laxman
Representing his home franchise, Deccan Chargers, in the first three seasons of IPL, VVS Laxman did not achieve much success with the bat. His strike rate was lower than the other players and could surpass the 50-run landmark only once in his entire IPL career. The Deccan Chargers released him in 2010 and Laxman then became a part of Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
Although he featured in four IPL seasons, his fitness issues and form allowed him to play only 20 matches. The wristy batsman scored 282 runs at an average of 14.84 in those games. He struck 33 fours and five sixes and his strike rate was 105.62.
Rahul Dravid
Unlike Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid was never a part of an IPL-winning squad. The closest he came to the championship was in the year 2009 while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Dravid played three seasons for the Karnataka-based franchise before becoming a part of Rajasthan Royals in 2011.
He was the star of RCB in 2008 as he scored 371 runs in 14 matches. The defensive batsman could not touch the 300-run milestone in the next two seasons, which led to his exit from the team. Rajasthan Royals named him as the captain, and he delivered the goods for them with 1,276 runs in three seasons.
Dravid was at his best in the 2013 season of IPL, where he amassed 471 runs in 18 games. His career strike rate was 115.51 in the IPL while 'The Wall' hit 11 fifties in this tournament.
Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly was (and still is) a very popular name in Kolkata and hence, the Shahrukh Khan-owned franchise roped him in as their icon player. Ganguly was surprisingly released from the team in 2011, despite the fact that he had a stellar outing in the preceding season. The left-handed batting legend scored 493 runs in 14 matches to finish IPL 2010 as one of the highest run-scorers.
Playing for his home franchise, Ganguly scored seven fifties in three seasons, yet found himself in the auction pool next year as the KKR team management looked to rebuild their squad. He did not find any buyers in the auction room, but Pune Warriors revived his career by signing him as a replacement player. Ganguly could not bring his ‘A’ game to the table for Pune as he had a strike rate of less than 100 in the two seasons he played for them.
Also Read - 4 players who were released by their home franchise after IPL 2010
Talking about his final IPL numbers, he played 59 matches, scoring 1,349 runs, with his highest score being 91. His strike rate was 106.81 and the Prince of Kolkata hit 137 fours and 42 sixes in his career.