Top 5 Famous Cricketers Born in 1981

July 7th marks the birthday of one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who turns 44 this year. Born in 1981, Dhoni is part of a legendary group of cricketers who were born in the same year and went on to leave an indelible mark on the sport. Their contributions to cricket and their nations have been both invaluable and unforgettable.

Today, as Dhoni turns 44, CricTracker lists down five such legendary cricketers born in 1981, which has another Indian in the list apart from the former Indian skipper.

Top 5 Cricketers born in 1981 who became legends

5. Graeme Smith—February 01, 1981

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith is widely regarded as one of the greatest Test skippers of all time. He was appointed as captain at the age of 22, and remains South Africa’s youngest Test captain and one of their most successful leaders till date.

He scored double centuries in his third and fourth matches as skipper, and went on to lead his side to eight away Test series wins without a single series loss between 2007 and 2013. He also became the first player to captain over 100 Tests, calling it quits in March 2014 against Australia.

4. Brendon McCullum – September 27, 1981

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter and captain Brendon McCullum is remembered for his aggressive and fearless brand of cricket. He smashed 158 in the first-ever IPL match in 2008 and registered the fastest Test century in his final international appearance.

In 2014, he became the first New Zealander to score a triple century, with his 302 off 559 balls in Wellington. Under his captaincy, the BlackCaps reached their first World Cup final in 2015 and competed in 13 consecutive home Tests without defeat. He also holds the unique record of playing 100 consecutive red-ball games from his debut in the longest format of the game.

3. Shane Watson – June 17, 1981

One of Australia’s premier all-rounders in the modern era, Shane Watson was known for his powerful hitting and dependable seam bowling. He was named Player of the Tournament in the 2012 T20 World Cup, scoring 249 runs and taking 11 wickets.

In the IPL, he played key roles in title wins for Rajasthan Royals (Most Valuable Player in 2008) and Chennai Super Kings (Player of the Match in 2018 finals), scoring a match-winning 117 off 57 balls in the 2018 final. He also won back-to-back Allan Border Medals and briefly served as Australia’s 44th Test captain. He currently enjoys his time off-the-field with some part-time commentary gigs.

2. Yuvraj Singh – December 12, 1981

Yuvraj Singh is one of India’s most beloved all-rounders, celebrated as much for his cricketing achievements as for his courage off the field. He was the Player of the Tournament in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph, scoring 362 runs and taking 15 wickets, including four Player-of-the-Match awards.

The left-handed batter is also remembered for hitting six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup. Though inconsistent in parts of his career, he was once IPL’s most expensive player, bought for INR 14 crore (2014) and INR 16 crore (2015). His legacy endures through unforgettable match-winning moments. After retiring, he groomed young talents from Punjab like Abhishek Sharma, who scored the joint-fastest T20I century, and Shubman Gill – India’s latest Test captain.

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – July 7, 1981

The Ranchi-born cricketer MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest captains and finishers in cricket history. Under his leadership, India reached new heights, winning the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy, making him the only captain to win all three ICC white-ball trophies.

India also held the No. 1 Test ranking for 18 months during his tenure. Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2019 but continues to play and lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. Recently, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame for his unmatchable contributions in international cricket.