International Lefthanders Day 2019: Sir Gary Sobers, Yuvraj Singh, Adam Gilchrist & Other Greatest Left-Handed Batsmen in Cricket Cricket Field

The International LeftHanders day is celebrated on August 13 every year. The day is celebrated to acknowledge the uniqueness of the left-handers. In a predominantly right-handers' world, left-handers have their own advantages and disadvantages. Only a small percent of the population in the world are left-handers, and the day commemorates the awareness about the fact. The game of cricket has also witnessed some great left-handers and their impact in the gentleman’s game is massive. International Lefthanders Day 2019 Date: History and Significance of the Day Celebrating Lefties.

The left-handed pitchers are known as the southpaws and cricket has had some great left-handed batsman. It is believed that the shots played by the left-handed batsman have a distinct elegance and so they are more pleasing to the eyes. There may not be many left-handers in the world, but still many southpaws have managed to become legendary in the world of cricket. As the world celebrates lefties, let’s have a look at some of the greatest left-handed batsmen to have graced the game. International Lefthanders Day 2019: Lefties, Beware of These 7 Health Risks!

Sourav Ganguly

Known fondly as "Dada" the Bengal born cricketer was one of the greatest left-handed batsmen to have stepped into the cricket field. The southpaw was known as the "God of Off-Side" and has been known to hit big sixes down the ground. The 47-year-old featured in 113 Tests and 311 ODIs in which he has respectively accumulated 7212 and 11363 runs, which also includes 38 centuries across the formats.

Kumar Sangakkara

The Sri Lankan wicket-keeper was also one of the most elegant batsmen to have graced the game. The 41-year-old player has proved his mettle in all forms of cricket. Sangakkara holds the record of being the only batsman to have scored four consecutive centuries in ODIs. The southpaw accumulated 12400, 14234 and 1382 runs in 134 Tests, 404 ODI’s and 56 T20Is.

Yuvraj Singh

The left-handed batsman is one of the biggest match-winners in World cricket. Known for his six sixes in an over,  The Punjab-born star played a crucial role in guiding India to victory in the 2007 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup. The 38-year-old gained a lot of respect when he made a comeback after defeating cancer. The southpaw appeared in 40 Tests, 308 ODIs and 58 T20Is in which he scored 1900, 8701 and 1177 runs respectively.

Brian Lara

The Caribbean batsman was a nightmare for the bowlers throughout his career. Lara, who was known for his graceful cover-drives is the highest run-scorer for West Indies in international cricket. In 2004, The 50-year-old played an innings of 400 runs against England, which is the highest score in Test Cricket to date. The left-handed-batsman featured in 131 Tests and 299 ODI’s in which he aggregated 11953 and 10405 runs respectively.

Sir Gary Sobers

The left-handed wizard was arguably the best all-rounder, the game has ever seen. The former Caribbean Captain was a dynamic left-handed batsman and toiled the opposition bowlers throughout his career. Sobers played 93 Tests in which he scored 8032 runs with an astonishing average of over 57.

Adam Gilchrist

The Australian Cricketer was arguably the best wicket-keeper-batsman the game has ever seen. Gilchrist was a formidable force not only in front of the wickets but behind the wickets. The southpaw has demolished many great bowling line-ups in the world and has also played a crucial role in guiding Australia to three World Cups. The 47-year-old played 96 Tests, 287 ODIs and 13 T20Is in which he scored 5570, 9619 and 272 runs respectively.

Chris Gayle

The "Universe Boss" is one of the most destructive batsmen in cricket and has toiled the bowlers throughout his career. Known for his blitz in T20 around the world, Gayle has an intimidating record at the international level too. The Jamaica-born-star was the first batsman to score a century in all three formats of International Cricket. The southpaw appeared in 103 Tests, 300 ODIs and 58 T20Is, in which he scored  7215, 10408 and 1627 runs respectively.

So, these were some great left-handed batsman to have graced the game of cricket. There are many stylish left-handed batsmen in the current era as well. David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Quinton De Kock are some left-handed-batsman of the current generation who can be a threat to bowling line-up on their day. Being a left-handed person is certainly a rare thing and the fact has their own pros and cons. So, on this special occasion, we wish all the lefties around a world a Happy Lefthanders Day

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2019 12:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).