Dubai [UAE], July 12 (ANI): ICC Chairman Jay Shah congratulated former India captains Sourav Ganguly and Anjum Chopra, along with former England batter Kevin Pietersen, after the three cricketers were inducted into the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame.

He said that three 'extraordinary individuals' have contributed greatly to cricket.

'I am delighted to welcome the latest inductees into the @ICC Hall of Fame, a tribute to the extraordinary individuals whose achievements have contributed greatly to our sport. @SGanguly99, @chopraanjum and @KP24 have all led their national teams with pride, and I would like to congratulate them on behalf of the ICC for this richly deserved honour,' Shah said in a post on X.

The International Cricket Council announced the three new inductions on Saturday, recognising their outstanding contributions to the game across different eras and formats. The ICC Hall of Fame honours cricketers whose achievements have left a lasting impact on the sport.

Ganguly joins the elite list after an illustrious international career in which he scored more than 18,000 runs. Widely regarded as one of India's most influential captains, Ganguly transformed the team's mindset with his fearless leadership and aggressive approach.

He made an unforgettable start to his Test career with a century at Lord's and later formed one of ODI cricket's most successful opening partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar. Under his captaincy, India reached the 2003 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final and produced the famous 2001 Kolkata Test victory over Australia after following on.

Former India Women's captain Anjum Chopra earned a place in the Hall of Fame for her pioneering role in the growth of women's cricket in the country. During a 17-year international career, Chopra scored more than 3,500 runs and became the first Indian woman to feature in 100 One-Day Internationals.

She captained India to first-ever overseas Test victory against South Africa and played a vital role in laying the foundation for the future success of the women's game in India.

Completing this year's list is former England batting star Kevin Pietersen, one of the most destructive batters of his generation. Pietersen amassed 13,797 international runs and was instrumental in England's triumph at the 2010 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament.

A dominant performer in both Tests and ODIs, Pietersen also reached the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batter rankings and was a multiple-time selection in the ICC Teams of the Year. (ANI)