Sunil Manohar Gavaskar is a former Indian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest opening batsmen in the history of Test cricket. He played for the India national cricket team from 1971 to 1987 and captained the side in multiple series during the late 1970s and 1980s. Gavaskar was the first batsman in the world to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket and the first to score 34 Test centuries, a record that stood until it was surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar in 2005.
| Full name | Sunil Manohar Gavaskar |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 July 1949, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra |
| Nickname | Sunny, the Little Master |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
| Role | Opening batsman |
| Test debut | 6 March 1971 vs West Indies, Port of Spain |
| Last Test | March 1987 vs Pakistan, Bangalore |
| ODI debut | 1974 vs England |
| Domestic team | Bombay (Ranji Trophy) |
| Test matches | 125 |
| Test runs | 10,122 |
| Test centuries | 34 |
| Honours | Padma Bhushan (1980), Padma Shri (1975) |
| Hall of Fame | ICC Cricket Hall of Fame (2009) |
Gavaskar was born in Bombay into a cricketing family; his maternal uncle, Madhav Mantri, was a former India Test wicketkeeper. He studied at St. Xavier's High School and later St. Xavier's College, Bombay. As a schoolboy he was named India's Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1966, signalling his early promise. He went on to represent Bombay University and the Bombay Ranji team, where he developed the technique of playing close to the body that became his hallmark.
Gavaskar made a remarkable Test debut in the Caribbean in 1971, scoring 774 runs in four Tests against a strong West Indies attack at an average of 154.80, including a century and a double century at Port of Spain. The series, won 1–0 by India, marked India's first Test series victory in the West Indies and established Gavaskar as a world-class opener while still in his early twenties.
Through the 1970s and early 1980s, Gavaskar built a reputation for resolute, technically correct batting against the fearsome pace attacks of the era, particularly the West Indies quartet of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall. He scored 13 of his 34 Test centuries against the West Indies, the most by any batsman against that side at the time. His 221 against England at The Oval in 1979, in pursuit of 438, brought India close to a record chase and remains one of the most celebrated innings in Indian cricket.
Gavaskar captained India in 47 Test matches between 1976 and 1985, winning nine. Under his leadership India won the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985, and he led the side in series against Pakistan, England, Australia and the West Indies. The captaincy alternated between him and Kapil Dev during the early 1980s.
His final Test innings, 96 against Pakistan on a difficult Bangalore pitch in March 1987, is regarded as one of the finest innings in a losing cause. He retired from international cricket later that year following the 1987 Reliance World Cup.
After retirement, Gavaskar moved into cricket administration, commentary and writing. He served as a member of the ICC Cricket Committee and chaired the BCCI's technical committee. He briefly headed the Indian Premier League's governing council in 2014 following a Supreme Court directive related to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He has been a long-standing television commentator on Indian and international cricket and writes a syndicated newspaper column. He is also the author of several books, including Sunny Days (1976), Idols, Runs 'n Ruins and One Day Wonders.
Gavaskar's career marked a turning point for Indian batsmanship. Before him, Indian openers were rarely viewed as world-class against genuine pace; his consistency abroad, particularly in the West Indies and England, changed that perception. His textbook technique, concentration and physical courage, often without a helmet against the fastest bowlers of his era, set a template for later Indian batsmen including Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. The Border–Gavaskar Trophy, contested between India and Australia in Test cricket since 1996, is named jointly after him and Allan Border, reflecting his stature in the international game.
Gavaskar is married to Marshneil Mehrotra. Their son, Rohan Gavaskar, played first-class cricket for Bengal and represented India in 11 One Day Internationals between 2004 and 2005.