Chetan Sharma is a former Indian cricketer who represented India in Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket during the 1980s and early 1990s. A right-arm fast-medium bowler from Haryana, he is best remembered as the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in a One Day International, achieved during the 1987 Cricket World Cup. After his playing career, he held administrative roles in Indian cricket, including a tenure as the chairman of the senior selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
| Full name | Chetan Sharma |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 January 1966, Ludhiana, Punjab, India |
| Role | Right-arm fast-medium bowler; lower-order batsman |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium |
| Domestic team | Haryana |
| National side | India |
| Test debut | 1984, vs England |
| ODI debut | 1983, vs Pakistan |
| Notable achievement | First Indian to take an ODI hat-trick (1987 World Cup) |
Born in Ludhiana, Chetan Sharma rose through the Haryana domestic circuit in the early 1980s. He was part of a generation of seam bowlers who emerged in Indian cricket alongside Kapil Dev, providing pace support in conditions that traditionally favoured spin. His ability to swing the new ball and bowl with control led to his early call-up to the national side as a teenager.
Chetan Sharma made his ODI debut in 1983 and his Test debut in 1984. As a young pacer, he often shared the new ball with Kapil Dev. He was a regular member of the Indian side through the mid-1980s, playing in series against major opponents including England, Pakistan, Australia, and the West Indies.
During the 1987 Reliance World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Pakistan, Chetan Sharma took the first hat-trick in the history of the Cricket World Cup. The feat came in a group match against New Zealand at Nagpur on 31 October 1987, when he dismissed Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith, and Ewen Chatfield in three successive deliveries. The hat-trick remains among the most celebrated bowling moments in Indian cricket history and was the first ODI hat-trick by an Indian bowler.
One of the most discussed moments of his career came in the final of the Austral-Asia Cup at Sharjah in April 1986, when Pakistan's Javed Miandad hit a six off the final ball of the innings bowled by Chetan Sharma to win the match. The delivery, often referred to in cricketing memory as one of the most famous last-ball finishes in ODI history, became a defining episode in the India–Pakistan cricket rivalry.
Chetan Sharma's international career was affected by recurring injuries, particularly stress-related issues common to fast bowlers of the period. His final international appearances came in the early 1990s, after which he continued in domestic cricket for Haryana before retiring.
At the domestic level, Chetan Sharma represented Haryana in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions. He was part of the Haryana side that won the Ranji Trophy in the 1990–91 season, defeating Bombay in a closely contested final, a result regarded as a landmark in the history of Haryana cricket.
Following retirement, Chetan Sharma was involved with cricket administration and television commentary. He served as a national selector for the BCCI and was appointed chairman of the senior men's selection committee, a role in which he was associated with major decisions on team composition during his tenure.
Chetan Sharma's career is significant for several reasons: he was among the prominent Indian seam bowlers of the 1980s, contributing to a transitional period in Indian fast bowling; his 1987 World Cup hat-trick remains a milestone in Indian and world ODI cricket; and his role in two of the most remembered moments of India–Pakistan ODI cricket — both the Sharjah six and subsequent matches — places him within the broader narrative of the rivalry.