‘We Came A Long Way’: Anil Kumble Highlights The Progression Indian Cricket Has Made At The Republic Plenary Summit 2025

Republic Plenary Summit 2025: Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble, who is one of the greatest spinners of the game, graced the Republic Plenary Summit 2025 in New Delhi on March 6. He opened up on the progress which India have made so far in the game of cricket. The sport has emerged as one of the most popular activities, and the 54-year-old opened up on all the advancements which the players from the country of India have made so far.

“We have come a long way. We are consistently in finals. We won the T20 World Cup. We were runners-up in 2023. 1983 was a breakthrough moment. The infrastructure for cricket has become better. The IPL has given a lot of opportunities to players. It is not just men, but women also have become inclusive in cricket. Women’s cricket has made India proud,” Anil Kumble said while speaking at the Republic Plenary Summit 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Anil Kumble made his ODI debut for India on April 25, 1990, against Sri Lanka. In 50-over cricket, he played 271 matches and took 337 wickets at an economy rate of 4.30. 

Kumble, on the other hand, was well-known for his Test cricket record. On August 9, 1990, the 54-year-old made his long-format debut and went on to play 132 matches. Kumble took 619 wickets with an economy rate of 2.69. His best Test cricket figures were 10/74 against Pakistan in 1999. Kumble became the second bowler, after England’s Jim Laker, to take ten wickets in a Test match inning.

Despite being a full-time bowler, Kumble was also known for his batting ability, scoring 2506 runs in 132 long-format matches. The legendary Indian spinner announced his retirement from international cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008. Kumble was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2015.

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