1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is one of the most talented cricketers India has seen. He is the captain of the Indian national cricket team in Tests. He has scored 70 centuries in International cricket and has captained over 90 matches. 

We all are big fans of him but what may come as a surprise to many is that Virat Kohli has not done his graduation. Yes, that’s right, he is only 12th pass. He skipped graduation for cricket training, and honestly, we all are thankful for it.

2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is another gem of Indian cricket history. Our favourite ‘Captain Cool’ has captained a total of 332 matches. He was pursuing B.Com from Christ University when he dropped out due to his busy schedule and dedicated all his time to cricket.

3. Aavishkar Salvi

Aavishkar Salvi has the title of the most educated Indian cricketer. He made his international debut for India against Bangladesh. He had some serious injuries due to which his cricketing career was cut short. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Astrophysics. 

4. Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev is one of India’s greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders. He became an Indian heartthrob after leading India to its first World Cup win in 1983. Like many of the Indian cricketers, Kapil Dev has also studied till class 12th. After completing his education at D.A.V. School, he made his International debut in 1978.

5. VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman is popularly known as the ‘God of 4th Innings’. He hails from a family of intellectuals. He pursued medicine after completing his schooling but chose cricket as a career instead. In 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Teri University, New Delhi.

6. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is known for his explosive batting in the cricket fields. But when it comes to education, Hardik Pandya has only studied till the 8th standard. After that, he dropped out and put his entire focus on his cricketing career. 

7. Rahul Dravid

The cricketer famed as ‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree from St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore. He was pursuing a Masters of Business Administration when he was selected for his debut in Indian cricket team. 

8. Murali Vijay

Murali Vijay comes from a studious Tamil family. At the age of 17, he ran away from home after failing his board exams. He started his cricket journey soon after and is known as one of the finest Test openers of modern cricket. Later on, Murali Vijay completed his education and now holds a Post Graduate in Economics from SRM University.

9. Rohit Sharma

The current captain of the Indian national cricket team, Rohit Sharma also belongs to the list of cricketers who traded higher education for the sport.  

At the suggestion of his then coach, Dinesh Lad, Sharma moved to Swami Vivekanand International School. This school had better cricket facilities than his previous school and he also received a scholarship. For the next four years, he focussed on his cricketing. He completed his 12th standard from there and then dropped out to focus solely on his cricketing career. 

10. Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble is regarded as one of the most educated Indian cricketers. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering (RVCE). After joining the Indian cricket team in 1990, Anil Kumle played more than 400 matches in his International career of 18 years. 

11. Shikhar Dhawan

Fondly called ‘Gabbar’ by his fans, Shikhar Dhawan also prioritized cricket over traditional education. He studied till class 12th from St. Mark’s Senior Secondary Public School, Delhi. After that, he devoted all of his attention to cricket. He made his debut in International cricket in 2010, and plays as an opening batsman for the Indian cricket team. 

We can safely say we have a huge variety of Indian cricketers, both in terms of techniques in the sport and their educational qualifications. They teach us that it is okay to skip traditional education in order to pursue our true calling.

Looking at them we can safely say, padhai-likhayi me sab kuch nahi rakkha hai, jao thoda cricket-shricket khelo.