Height can be a sneaky advantage in cricket, giving bowlers extra bounce, varied angles, a higher release point and even some psychological intimidation. India has had some tall pacers and all-rounders who’ve made an impact with both their size and match-winning form. From Ishant Sharma to Arshdeep Singh Check out team India’s top 5 Tallest players
1. Abey Kuruvilla – 6 ft 6 in Best Career: 5/68 vs West Indies, Bridgetown, 1997
Abey Kuruvilla is still the tallest Indian cricketer ever. His height meant he released the ball from higher up, getting nasty bounce even on easy going pitches. His best performance was in Barbados in 1997, where he picked up 5 wickets, troubling West Indian batsmen with awkward bounce. His height let him hit the pitch hard, which wasn’t common for Indian bowlers in the 90s. Kuruvilla’s straight seam position, plus his height, helped him create bounce without losing control – important when playing overseas.
2. Ishant Sharma – 6 ft 4 in Best Career performance: 7/74 vs England, Lord’s, 2014
Ishant’s height has been a big help, mostly on bouncy pitches. His amazing 7 wicket haul at Lord’s in 2014 is one of India’s best Test performances abroad. By bowling short and accurate, he used his high arm action to make the ball bounce steeply, forcing top English batsmen to make mistakes. Ishant’s skill in hitting hard length repeatedly, together with his height, made him India’s main bowler on bouncy pitches like Johannesburg and Lord’s.
3. Shivam Dube – 6 ft 4 in Best Bowling: 3/30 vs Afghanistan, T20I Series 2024
People often think of Dube as a big hitter, but his bowling stood out during the Afghanistan T20I series. His 3 wickets showed how his height can cause tricky bounce at medium pace. Though he’s not super fast, his ability to make the ball skid from a high release point confuses batsmen trying to attack. Dube’s straight posture and long arms let him bowl good slower balls and cutters that grip the pitch, especially in the subcontinent.
4. Venkatesh Iyer – 6 ft 3 in Best Bowling: 2/23 vs South Africa, 2022 T20I
Venkatesh Iyer isn’t a primary bowler but his height is useful. In limited-overs cricket, his ability to get bounce at medium pace makes him a good option in the powerplay or middle overs. He troubled the set batsmen against South Africa with subtle changes and steep bounce. His height helps him bowl back-of–length balls that jump off the pitch—a good way to keep runs down during overs 7–15 in T20s.
5. Arshdeep Singh – 6 ft 3 in Best Bowling: 4/37 vs West Indies, T20I 2023
Arshdeep, a tall left-arm pacer, has become India’s best death-over bowler recently. His high release point and natural angle make his yorkers tougher to handle. His 4/37 against West Indies showed he can bowl slower bouncers and wide yorkers with great accuracy. Arshdeep’s height lets him mix short balls with full-length balls without changing his action much—which confuses batsmen trying to guess the length.
