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Kiran More

Kiran Shankar More is a former Indian cricketer who represented India as a wicket-keeper batsman during the 1980s and 1990s. He later served as a national selector, including a tenure as Chairman of the senior men's selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and has remained associated with cricket coaching and administration.

Key facts

Full name Kiran Shankar More
Born 4 September 1962, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Role Wicket-keeper, right-handed batsman
Domestic team Baroda
Tests for India 49
ODIs for India 94
Test debut 1986, against England
Notable role off-field Chairman, BCCI senior selection committee

Background

More was born in Vadodara (then Baroda) in the western Indian state of Gujarat. He came up through Baroda's domestic cricket structure, a side that during the 1980s and 1990s produced a number of India internationals. A compact, agile keeper, he was selected for the India squad initially as understudy to Syed Kirmani before establishing himself as the first-choice wicket-keeper.

International career

More made his Test debut for India during the 1986 tour of England. Over the next several years he was India's regular gloveman in both Test and One Day International cricket, touring extensively in England, Australia, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

He was part of the Indian squads at multiple ICC Cricket World Cups, including the 1987 tournament co-hosted by India and Pakistan, the 1992 edition in Australia and New Zealand, and the 1996 World Cup played in the Indian subcontinent. As a lower-order batsman he was capable of scoring quick runs, and he holds the distinction of having taken several stumpings off the spin bowling combinations of the era, including those of Ravi Shastri, Maninder Singh and Anil Kumble.

One of his more widely remembered moments came during the 1992 World Cup match against Pakistan at Sydney, which featured an animated on-field exchange with Javed Miandad. More's international career drew to a close in the mid-1990s with the emergence of Nayan Mongia as India's wicket-keeper.

Domestic career

More played first-class cricket for Baroda, appearing in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions. He was part of Baroda sides that competed strongly in domestic limited-overs and four-day cricket, and he played alongside contemporaries such as Anshuman Gaekwad and a young generation that later included Nayan Mongia.

Administration and coaching

After retirement, More moved into selection and administration. He served as Chairman of the BCCI's senior men's selection committee in the mid-2000s, a period that included transitions in the Indian team's leadership and the appointment of overseas head coaches. He has also been associated with cricket academies, notably running the Kiran More Cricket Academy in Vadodara, which has produced players for state and age-group cricket.

More has additionally taken up roles in franchise cricket and as a mentor and commentator, and has been involved with the Mumbai Indians franchise in the Indian Premier League in talent identification roles.

Significance

More is regarded as one of India's notable wicket-keepers of the late 1980s and early 1990s, bridging the era between Syed Kirmani and Nayan Mongia. His subsequent work in selection and youth development gives him a continuing presence in Indian cricket beyond his playing days.

References