Little Master turns 77: Here are 7 interesting facts from Sunil Gavaskar’s iconic career

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, popularly known as the “Little Master,” celebrates his 77st birthday on Friday.

Post Published By: Sreeja Chowdhury

Updated : 10 July 2026, 11:47 AM IST

Little Master celecbrates his 77 Birthday

New Delhi: Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, popularly known as the “Little Master,” celebrates his 77st birthday on Friday.

About the Little Master

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, popularly known as the “Little Master,” was born on July 10, 1949, in Mumbai, then known as Bombay.

He was a right-handed opening batter and made his international debut for India on March 6, 1971, in a Test match against the West Indies at Port of Spain.

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He later made his ODI debut on July 13, 1974, against England. Gavaskar went on to become one of the greatest opening batters in cricket history and was the first player to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket.

He played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs for India and also captained the national team. Gavaskar retired from international cricket in 1987, playing his final Test against Pakistan in Bengaluru.

After retirement, he became a well-known cricket commentator, analyst and author.

Little about his Career

The former right-handed batsman had a historic career in which he went on to score 10,000+ Test runs for the country.

Gavaskar was the first cricketer in history to surpass the 10,000 runs mark in the longest format. The former India opener was also an integral member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team.

Little master played 125 Tests in which he scored 10,122 runs with 34 centuries to his name. He also played 108 ODIs in which he scored 3,093 runs.

He also had 25,834 runs in a first-class career.

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On Little Master's birthday, lets take a look at some interesting facts from his career:

1. First batter to 10,000 Test runs
   Sunil Gavaskar became the first cricketer in history to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket, achieving the milestone in 1987.
2. Record-breaking debut series
   Gavaskar scored an incredible 774 runs in his debut Test series against the West Indies in 1971—the highest by any player in a debut Test series, a record that still stands.
3. Dominated the mighty West Indies
   He smashed 13 Test centuries against the West Indies, the most by any batter against the Caribbean side and one of the greatest feats against their feared pace attacks.
4. Played fearlessly without a helmet
   Gavaskar built his legendary career facing some of the fastest bowlers in history—such as Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Andy Roberts—mostly without wearing a helmet.
5. Accidentally swapped at birth
   Shortly after he was born, Gavaskar was mistakenly exchanged with another baby in the hospital. His uncle recognized a birthmark near his ear, leading to the mix-up being discovered.
6. Got a haircut during a Test match
   During a Test at Old Trafford, England, umpire Dickie Bird trimmed Gavaskar's hair with scissors because it kept falling over his eyes while he was batting.
7. More than just a cricketer
   Gavaskar is also an accomplished author, having written books including Sunny Days, Idols, Runs 'n' Ruins and One Day Wonders. He even acted in the Marathi film Savli Premachi and made a cameo in the Hindi film Malamaal.