Cricket has borne witness to the most surreal of events that can unfold on the face of the planet. Not only do these facts change your perception about someone or the game completely but it also questions your understanding and knowledge of the sport.
In a year full of uncertainties driven by the covid-19 pandemic, surely nothing can surprise you anymore. How about the fact that Sachin Tendulkar has bowled more deliveries in the odi format of the game than Shoaib Akhtar, Imran Khan and Dale Steyn.
Sachin Tendulkar is widely regarded as the greatest batsmen of all time and by most as the ‘God of Cricket’, however his bowling skills were not discussed as much as they were always overshadowed by his batting prowess.
With his bowling however, he did manage to chip in with a few overs in the middle mixing medium pace with off-breaks at a regular intervals to keep batsmen guessing. In total, Sachin bowled 8054 deliveries in odi cricket, taking 154 wickets in the bargain.
When we juxtapose these figures against some of the world’s former best, we find a surprising fact. Shoaib Akhtar, also known as Rawalpindi Express bowled 7764 deliveries, while South African speedster Dale Steyn bowled 6256 deliveries. Imran Khan, one of Pakistan’s most reliable cricketers, bowled only 7461 deliveries. Again, less than the number bowled by Sachin Tendulkar in odi cricket.
