Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar: The former captain of India, who was the first to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, will turn 75 years old soon and is still involved with cricket.
Sunil Gavaskar, who loved scoring centuries in cricket, will celebrate his 75th birthday on Wednesday. He’s known as one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history. Gavaskar prefers to take life step by step, much like how he faced fast bowlers and tricky spinners during his playing days.
As a former captain of India, he was the first to score 10,000 runs in Test matches. Cricket has always been a part of his life—first as a player until he retired in 1987, and now as a commentator.
Recency bias
Many young people today only know Sunil Gavaskar as a commentator. They might think of him only in that role. This situation is similar to what Richie Benaud faced in his time. It could be because of a tendency to focus on recent things or in today’s fast-paced world of short attention spans and quick trends, people tend to forget quickly.
For those who watched Sunil Gavaskar bat, he epitomized stability at the crease. In an era where batsmen today play aggressively from the start to the end of the innings, Gavaskar was like a secure investment in a trusted bank.
When he batted alongside opening partners like the late Chetan Chauhan, Anshuman Gaekwad, or K. Srikkanth, and with middle-order stalwarts such as G.R. Viswanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Mohinder Amarnath, India felt confident. With the all-rounder Kapil Dev also in the team, there was always hope.
Gavaskar was known for his solid technique and determination. Like Viv Richards, he often batted without a helmet, though he briefly tried a skull-cap later in his career. However, he is most remembered with his floppy hat and a bat that seemed as wide as a fortress wall!
Gavaskar started playing for India two years after I retired. But even before he debuted, Ajit Wadekar had already told us about this talented boy from Bombay who would score a lot of runs for India. “Didn’t he make a lot of runs?” said former India batsman Chandu Borde.
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How did Gavaskar manage to handle the fearsome fast bowlers from the West Indies right from his first series in 1971? “It was his focus and his solid technique. His batting stance was impeccable, and he had an incredible ability to watch the ball closely. He could play all the shots, but he used them wisely. He was a very practical batsman who knew exactly what to do,” Borde said.
Gavaskar scored 774 runs in that series, which helped India defeat the West Indies 1-0. ‘Lord Relator’ even composed a Calypso song dedicated to the master batsman to immortalize that triumph.
His achievements were remarkable when he retired: 10,122 runs and 34 centuries in Test cricket, along with 3,092 runs and one century in ODIs. His overall First Class record included a staggering 25,834 runs. In Test cricket, he ranks 13th in career runs, with Sachin Tendulkar from Mumbai leading.
When he got into the groove, Gavaskar could dismantle even the toughest bowling attacks. He famously equaled Sir Don Bradman’s then-record of 29 Test centuries with a memorable innings in Delhi.
Fountain of anecdotes
Nowadays, Gavaskar is busy as a commentator and is considered an authority on batting techniques. Off the field, he loves sharing stories, has a playful sense of humor, and is actively involved in charity work, particularly supporting elderly athletes. He holds deep respect for Prakash Padukone, as badminton is one of his favorite sports.
Happy birthday to the Master, and may the coming years bring more memorable moments in cricket.
