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Sunil Gavaskar Birthday: In an excellent 16-year profession, he played 125 Test matches and scored 10,122 runs with 34 centuries, inspiring a golden generation of batters that followed.
Sunil Gavaskar, generally known as The Little Master, redefined Indian cricket with grit and beauty. (PTI Photo)
Blissful Birthday, Sunil Gavaskar: One among India’s biggest cricketers, Sunil Gavaskar, celebrates his birthday today. Born on July 10, 1949, Gavaskar is renowned for his technical perfection and excellent resolve as a batter. Among the many grittiest openers in Test cricket, Gavaskar’s contribution to Indian cricket is big as he stood up against the world’s finest fast-bowling attacks, including the then dominant West Indies side, without ever using a helmet and have become the primary player within the history of Tests to succeed in 10,000 runs.
Gavaskar fought for days on the pitch to maintain his Indian side competitive against the might of the Caribbean, the English, the Australians and Pakistan and altered perceptions about Indian cricket, earning the country great respect within the cricket world.
In an excellent 16-year profession, Gavaskar played 125 Test matches and scored 10,122 runs with 34 centuries, inspiring a golden generation of batters that followed. He also made his mark as a captain of India, winning the 1985 Benson & Hedges Championship in Australia.
Why Sunil Gavaskar Is Called The Little Master?
Gavaskar is widely considered the unique ‘Little Master’ of Indian cricket. The enduring nickname and title got bestowed upon him by the fans and commentators for his incredible batsmanship within the 70s and 80s.
Gavaskar’s physical stature could also be small, but he produced the tallest feats while facing great attacks in his prime.
Due to his remarkable attributes, including his masterful technique and unshakable temperament, the nickname Little Master perfectly suited the legend.
Sunil Gavaskar’s Profession Stats And Achievements
Gavaskar played 125 Tests for India with 10,122 runs at a median of 51.12 with 34 centuries next to his name, aside from 45 fifties.
The maestro right-hander also represented his country in 108 One-Day Internationals with 3,092 runs at a median of 35.13 with 27 half-centuries and a solitary hundred.
Gavaskar, who was considered a slow-going player not fit for the fast-paced ODIs, proved his naysayers unsuitable by producing a scintillating 88-ball 103 not out on the 1987 World Cup versus Recent Zealand.
The Little Master held multiple great records during his profession.
Aside from becoming the primary player to succeed in 10,000 Test runs, Gavaskar’s kitty of landmark achievements features the best (774) runs in a series by a debutant, a feat he achieved against his favourite opposition, West Indies, on the age of 21 on the historic 1971 tour and helped India win within the Caribbean for the primary time.
He was also the primary player in Test cricket to go past Sir Donald Bradman’s tally of 29 a whole lot. Gavaskar’s 34 centuries was a world record until 2005 when his legendary successor Sachin Tendulkar surpassed him.
Within the yr 1980, the Indian government conferred the celebrated Padma Bhushan to Gavaskar for his service to the nation, while the BCCI honoured him with the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
In 1996, Gavaskar and his Australian counterpart Allan Border were honoured by the 2 countries’ cricket boards with the inauguration of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
10 Lesser-Known Facts About Sunil Gavaskar
- Gavaskar once revealed he was swapped with a fisherman’s son at his birth by the hospital staff and was only identified by his uncle due to a novel mark near his ear.
- He’s the one Indian to attain a whole lot in each innings of same Test 3 times and is the fastest Indian to get to five,000 Test runs.
- Sunil Gavaskar held the best individual rating for an Indian Test batter in England along with his 221 at Old Trafford in 1974 until it was surpassed recently by Shubman Gill along with his 269 at Edgbaston.
- Gavaskar was a part of a whopping 58 Test century partnerships alongside 18 different players.
- He’s the primary non-wicketkeeper Indian fielder to bag over 100 catches in Test cricket.
- In 1983, Gavaskar became the primary Indian to hold his bat through in a Test match along with his 127 not out within the Faisalabad Test against Pakistan.
- In 1980, Wisden named him one among their Cricketers Of The 12 months.
- Gavaskar was sworn in as Bombay Sheriff, an honorary post, for a yr on the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai in 1994.
- He became the primary and till date only Indian cricketer to deliver the MCC Spirit Of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2003.
- Gavaskar was appointed the interim BCCI president in 2014.
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and every part that’s cricket from all around the globe. Follow @cricketnext
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and every part that’s cricket from all around the globe. Follow @cricketnext
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