Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar is one of the biggest names in Indian cricket, arguably the greatest Indian batsman ever. What probably tilts the debate in his favour is that he played at a time when international cricket was replete with deadly fast bowers with no modern-day helmets for protection.

Of his 34 Test centuries, highest at the time, thirteen came against the West Indies who boasted one of the best fast bowling line-ups ever. In his first Test series in the West Indies in 1971, Gavaskar scored a whopping 774 in four matches as India registered a historic 1-0 series win.

He enjoyed playing the Windies as he scored four centuries twice in a series against them. His highest Test score of 236 also came against the Caribbean nation in Chennai, 1983. The first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs, Gavaskar was a part of four World Cup campaigns including India’s maiden World Cup title triumph in 1983. Two years later he also led India to win in the World Championship of Cricket in Australia.

Predominantly a Test player, Gavaskar did not have the best of times in ODIs. Having made his ODI debut in 1974, he found it tough to replicate his Test cricket exploits in the then shortest format of the game. His innings of 36 not out off a whopping 174 deliveries earned him a lot of flak, but this was the way he continued batting till his penultimate ODI. Against New Zealand, he cracked the then fastest World Cup hundred for an Indian despite running a high temperature. Incidentally, it was also his only ODI hundred.

He hung up his boots in 1987 but not before racking up 10122 Test runs at an average of 51.12. He tried his hand at captaincy at intervals in his career but did not have a good time. Post retirement he has served as an ICC Match Referee, BCCI President, chairman of ICC Cricket Committee, commentator and analyst. He till date remains a reliable and renowned voice in the game.