Menu

Sandeep Patil

Overview

Sandeep Madhusudan Patil is a former Indian cricketer, coach, and cricket administrator. A right-handed middle-order batsman known for his attacking style, he represented India in Test and One Day International cricket during the late 1970s and 1980s. He was a member of the Indian squad that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup under Kapil Dev. After retirement, he served as head coach of the Indian and Kenyan national teams and later chaired the senior selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Key Facts

Full name Sandeep Madhusudan Patil
Born 18 August 1956, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra
Batting style Right-handed
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Role Top/middle-order batsman
Test debut 1980, vs Australia
ODI debut 1980
Domestic team Bombay (Mumbai)
Major honour Member, 1983 World Cup–winning squad
Father Madhusudan Patil, former Ranji Trophy cricketer

Background

Sandeep Patil was born in Bombay into a sporting family. His father, Madhusudan Patil, played first-class cricket for Maharashtra and Bombay. He came up through Mumbai's club and school cricket system and made his first-class debut for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy, soon establishing himself as a hard-hitting middle-order batsman.

International Career

Early years

Patil broke into the Indian Test side during the 1979–80 season. He drew widespread attention during the 1980–81 tour of Australia, where he scored 174 at the Adelaide Oval, an innings notable for its counter-attacking strokeplay after he had been hit on the head earlier in the series.

England, 1982

On the tour of England in 1982, Patil scored 129 not out at Old Trafford, Manchester, an innings that included six boundaries in a single over from Bob Willis (one ball was a no-ball). The innings is widely regarded as one of the most aggressive Test centuries by an Indian batsman of that era.

1983 World Cup

Patil was a key middle-order batsman in India's victorious campaign at the 1983 Prudential Cup in England. He played an important half-century in the semi-final against England at Old Trafford, helping India reach the final at Lord's, where they defeated the West Indies.

Later career

He played his last Test in 1984. His international career, though relatively short, included 29 Tests and 45 ODIs, with four Test centuries.

Domestic Cricket

Patil represented Bombay in the Ranji Trophy and Madhya Pradesh later in his domestic career. He was part of Bombay sides that contested the Ranji Trophy in a strong era for the team.

Film and Media

In the mid-1980s, Patil acted in the Hindi film Kabhi Ajnabi The (1985). He has also worked extensively as a cricket commentator and columnist.

Coaching Career

  • India: Served as head coach of the Indian national team in 1996.
  • Kenya: Coached the Kenyan national team in the early 2000s; under his guidance Kenya reached the semi-final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the country's best performance in the tournament.
  • National Cricket Academy: Associated with the BCCI's National Cricket Academy in Bangalore in various capacities.

Selector

Patil was appointed chairman of the BCCI senior men's selection committee in 2012 and held the position until 2016. His tenure included selection responsibilities during major ICC events such as the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Timeline

  • 1956: Born in Bombay.
  • 1975–76: First-class debut for Bombay.
  • 1979–80: International debut for India.
  • 1981: 174 against Australia at Adelaide.
  • 1982: 129 not out against England at Old Trafford.
  • 1983: Member of India's World Cup–winning squad.
  • 1984: Final Test appearance.
  • 1985: Lead role in Kabhi Ajnabi The.
  • 1996: Head coach of India.
  • 2003: Coached Kenya to the World Cup semi-final.
  • 2012–2016: Chairman of BCCI national selectors.

Significance

Patil is regarded as one of the early proponents of an aggressive, stroke-filled approach to batting in Indian cricket, at a time when the side's middle order was largely built on accumulators. His role in the 1983 World Cup, his attacking centuries against Australia and England, and his later contributions as coach and selector make him an influential figure across multiple eras of Indian cricket. His coaching of Kenya in 2003 is also seen as a notable contribution to the development of cricket in associate nations.

Family

His son, Chirag Patil, played first-class cricket and has also worked in Hindi cinema, including a portrayal of his father in the film 83 (2021), which dramatised India's 1983 World Cup triumph.

References

  • BCCI official records and selector announcements.
  • ICC Cricket World Cup 1983 and 2003 tournament records.
  • Match scorecards and tour records of the India national cricket team, 1979–1984.