Sunil Gavaskar, the Indian cricket legend and former captain is celebrating his 75th birthday today; he is affectionately called ‘Sunny’ and ‘Little Master.’
Gavaskar is remembered for his extraordinary career that he had from 1971 to 1987 full of batting records and heroic innings against one of the fiercest fast bowling attacks in cricket history which was posed by West Indies.
He had a remarkable adaptability at the spinning tracks of India as well as bouncy Caribbean ones. This picture of him playing with just a skull cap as protection will never be forgotten by cricket fans all over the world. An integral member of India’s historic 1983 World Cup-winning squad, Gavaskar once held the record for the most centuries in Test matches. He accumulated over 10,000 runs in Test cricket, including 34 centuries and 45 half-centuries, setting standards and achieving milestones that were considered extraordinary for his time.
Surprisingly, in March 1987, it became evident that Gavaskar had completed an unbelievable feat when he became the first cricketer to reach the milestone of having scored more than 10,000 runs in test matches. He ended up scoring a staggering number of runs which totaled to over ten thousand at exactly 10,122 before he retired from active sport.
For some time after Tendulkar surpassed it in 2005; however this remained unbeaten record until then. Gavaskar showed great dominance over West Indies’ bowlers by hitting 13 tons against them from 27 tests they played between 70s and 80s. Worth noting here is that during his debut series against West Indies in 1971, Gavaskar managed to make a total score of seven hundred seventy four (774) with a double century inclusive.
On top of this elite batting ability, Gavaskar was also a good catcher who could teach others many good things in the sport. He became the first Indian fielder to take 100 catches in Test cricket, excluding wicketkeepers.
On his 75th birthday, Sunil Gavaskar gets commendations and a standing ovation from the entire cricket world which appreciates his enormous contribution as well as lasting legacy for the game. His records of all sorts, tough times and incredible achievements are still what keep every cricketer going and inspire fans globally.
