Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar was born on July 10, 1949, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. His cricket career began with distinction, being named India’s Best Schoolboy Cricketer in 1966. Gavaskar made his first-class debut in the 1968-69 season for Bombay before joining the Indian team for the 1970-71 tour of the West Indies. He quickly made a significant impact, scoring 774 runs at an average of 154.80 in his debut Test series, including four centuries. This performance established him as a formidable opening batsman, admired for his precise technique and composure against fast bowling, particularly against the West Indian pace attack.

Throughout his career from 1971 to 1987, Gavaskar set several records. He became the first batsman to score over 10,000 runs in Test cricket and held the record for 34 Test centuries. His leadership roles included captaining the Indian national cricket team on multiple occasions in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning the 1984 Asia Cup and the World Championship of Cricket in 1985. Notable achievements include scoring centuries in both innings of a Test match on three occasions and recording an unbeaten 236 against the West Indies, which was India’s highest Test score at the time. Gavaskar was also a skilled slip fielder, becoming the first Indian (excluding wicket-keepers) to take over 100 catches in Test matches.

After retiring from playing, Gavaskar embarked on a successful career as a cricket commentator and columnist. He served as the Chairman of the ICC cricket committee and acted as an advisor for the India national cricket team. In 2014, he was appointed interim President of the BCCI. His contributions to cricket have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Padma Bhushan in 1980, induction into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009, and the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Beyond cricket, he also ventured into acting, appearing in the Marathi film “Savli Premachi” and the Hindi film “Maalamaal.”