Ajit Agarkar: Difference between revisions

|                name = Ajit Agarkar

|              height = 5 ft 7 in<ref>{{Cite web|title=Agarkar pulls out of NZ tour|url=https://www.rediff.com/sports/1998/dec/02b.htm|date=2 December 1998|work=[[Rediff.com]]|first=Faisal|last=Shariff|quote=Sanjay Manjrekar, Agarkar's skipper in Ranji Trophy games last season, said in the course of a recent commentary session: "That boy weighs 58 kilos (his height, by the way, is five foot seven). I told him, he has either to add body weight, or stop bowling fast."}}</ref>

|                role = All rounder

|        lastodidate = 5 September

|            odishirt = 68 (previously 9)

|            matches3 = 110

|            matches4 = 270

|              runs3 = 3,336

|              runs4 = 2,275

|            bat avg3 = 28.75

|            bat avg4 = 17.50

|          100s/50s3 = 4/16

|          100s/50s4 = 1/7

|          top score3 = 145

|          top score4 = 100

|            wickets3 = 299

|            wickets4 = 420

|          bowl avg3 = 30.69

|          bowl avg4 = 26.16

|  catches/stumpings3 = 37/–

|              source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/ajit-agarkar-26184 Cricinfo

|                date = 13 September

|                year = 2022

'''Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar''' {{audio|Ajit Agarkar.ogg|pronunciation}} (born 4 December 1977) is a former Indian [[cricket]]er and a commentator. He is and has been the chairman of the [[India national cricket team selectors|BCCI selection committee]] since July 4, 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.timesofsports.com/cricket/news/indian-cricket-team-chief-selector-2023/ | title=Indian Cricket Team Chief Selector is Ajit Agarkar - BCCI | date=4 July 2023 }}</ref> He has represented India in more than 200 international matches across all three formats of the game.

He is the third highest wicket-taker for India in [[One Day International]]s (ODIs) and has represented India in the [[1999 Cricket World Cup]], [[2003 Cricket World Cup]], [[2007 Cricket World Cup|2007 World Cup]] and was member of the inaugural [[2007 ICC World Twenty20]] winning squad, along with one of the joint winners of the [[2002 ICC Champions Trophy]], which was shared with Sri Lanka.

He played for the [[Delhi Daredevils]] (Now Delhi Capitals) and the [[Kolkata Knight Riders]] in the [[Indian Premier League|IPL]], and captained [[Mumbai cricket team|Mumbai]] to its 40th [[Ranji Trophy]] title in 2013. He made his Test and ODI debuts in 1998 and [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] debut in 2006. In 2013, Agarkar announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Post-retirement, he began a new career as a [[Color commentator|cricket analyst]]. He holds the record for the quickest 50 in ODIs by an Indian coming off just 21 balls (against Zimbabwe in 2000).

Agarkar was born on 4 December 1976 in [[Mumbai]],<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Indian player profiles |url=https://www.sportstarlive.com/tss2649/stories/20031206002601900.htm |website=sportstarlive.com |access-date=27 July 2018 |date=December 2003 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> to Meena and Balachandra Agarkar. He has one sister, Manik Agarkar.<ref name="rediff1">{{cite news |last1=Panicker |first1=Prem |title=Strike force! |url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/1998/jul/10g.htm |access-date=27 July 2018 |work=[[Rediff.com]] |date=10 July 1998}}</ref><ref>Hari Menon (8 November 2004), [https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/bones-of-a-riddle/225620 "Bones Of A Riddle"], ''[[Outlook India]]''. Retrieved 20 March 2019.</ref> Agarkar started out as a batsman since his childhood before he was entrusted to cricket coach [[Ramakant Achrekar]] by his father. On Achrekar's insistence, Agarkar shifted his school from IES to Shardashram Vidyamandir for Grade six. He developed as a batsman who could bowl a bit during this time while practicing at the [[Shivaji Park]]. He went on to perform consistently as a batsman scoring heavily in the inter-school Giles Shield tournament for the Under-16s making a triple century when he was 15. He carried the form into the Harris Shield under-19 tournament scoring consistently "showing signs of being another [[Sachin Tendulkar|Tendulkar]] in the making." It was during this time that he began shifting focus to his bowling after it was "pointed out to [him] that it would be hard to make it into the Mumbai team as a pure batsman, and that he stood a better chance as an all-rounder". As a child, Agarkar idolized pacers [[Kapil Dev]], [[Michael Holding]] and [[Ian Botham]]; later also taking a liking to [[Allan Donald]].<ref name="rediff1"/>

Agarkar is an alumnus of [[Ruparel College]] in [[Matunga]]. He married Fatima Ghadially and has a son named Raj with her. He resides in Narayan Pujari Nagar on the [[Worli]] Seaface in South Mumbai in [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ajit Agarkar – Bio Page |url=http://www.lookuppage.com/users/ajitagarkar/ |website=lookuppage.com |access-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075120/http://www.lookuppage.com/users/ajitagarkar/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He is relatively short compared to other fast bowlers, but he could still bowl at speeds more than 90&nbsp;mph (~142–150&nbsp;km/h).{{Citation needed|date= March 2022}}

He was generally a wicket taking bowler being the fastest (at the time) to 50 wickets. During his career, many questions aroused about his economy rate. However, his career economy rate was fair (5.07).<ref name="cricinfo">{{cite web |title=Ajit Agarkar |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/26184.html |website=Cricinfo}}</ref>

Agarkar made his [[One day international|ODI]] debut against [[Australian national cricket team|Australia]] at [[Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi|Kochi]], on 1 April 1998. He took the wicket of [[Adam Gilchrist]] in that match.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://espnpressroom.com/caribbean/bios/jonathan-trott/#:~:text=Agarkar%20made%20his%20ODI%20debut,prized%20wicket%20of%20Adam%20Gilchrist. | title=Agarkar Profile }}</ref>

Soon after his debut, a 20-year-old Agarkar achieved his first [[Man of the match]] award in a crucial Coca-Cola champions trophy match against New Zealand taking four wickets including the crucial wickets of [[Stephen Fleming]] and [[Craig McMillan]] while India was defending just 220 on 17 April 1998.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/india-v-new-zealand-1997-1998-151463| title=Match Report }}</ref>

The positive start to his early career, Indian fans were hopeful of him forming a strong bowling partnership with [[Javagal Srinath]]. Srinath had been sidelined by injury during Agarkar's 1st season and was the only successful pace bowler in the National Team. The emergence of [[Ashish Nehra]] in 1999 and [[Zaheer Khan]] in 2000 created further competition for pace bowling options especially in home conditions. Frequent injuries to Srinath, Nehra, and Agarkar meant India struggled with pace bowling resources.{{Citation needed|date= March 2022}}

While Agarkar remained a part of the team, he was not able to hold down a guaranteed place due to frequent injuries and severe competition for places especially after the emergence of [[Irfan Pathan]] in 2004. He was an important part of the hugely successful Indian team in 2002 and 2003 with Agarkar contributing some memorable performances with the bat and the ball. During this period, he was also a member of the Indian team which finished in the runner-up spot in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, although he did not play in a single game throughout the tournament.

As a batsman, Agarkar is one of the few players who scored a Test century at Lords against England during India's tour to England in 2002 when he scored 109 not out. Although India lost the test, his batting skills were quite noticeable. He also holds the record of the fastest fifty in ODI's for India when he scored 67 not out in 25 balls at Rajkot against Zimbabwe in 2000.<ref>[http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284095.html Fastest fifties] at [[Cricinfo]]</ref> However, his batting exploits have been frequently overshadowed by seven consecutive instances of no scoring against Australia, five in Australia and two at home.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alloutcricket.com/blogs/sundries/you-can-quote-me-on-that-ajit-agarkar |title=You Can Quote Me on That: Ajit Agarkar – All Out Cricket |access-date=2013-12-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215121632/http://www.alloutcricket.com/blogs/sundries/you-can-quote-me-on-that-ajit-agarkar |archive-date=15 December 2013 }}</ref> His first four dismissal also happened to have been on the first ball he faced.

He is currently the 3rd highest wicket taker (288) for India in ODI's after Javagal Srinath (315) and [[Anil Kumble]] (337).

[[John Wright (cricketer, born 1954)|John Wright]] used to send Agarkar as a pinch hitter in ODIs up the order to increase the scoring rate. He demonstrated good batting skills with extra slogging. Some of his acclaimed knocks in ODIs are when he smacked the fastest 50 in 21 balls in 2000 against Zimbabwe and took 3 wickets as well in that match,<ref>{{cite web|title=fastest 50|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/64684.html}}</ref> in another knock his 95 against West Indies in 2002 at [[Jamshedpur]] when he was sent up the order at number 3.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ajit 95|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/64785.html}}</ref>

Early in his career, Agarkar broke [[Dennis Lillee]]'s world record for the fastest 50 wickets in [[One Day International|ODIs]], achieving the feat from only 23 matches. He held the record from 1998 until 2009 when [[Ajantha Mendis]] achieved the feat from just 19 matches. Agarkar holds the Indian record of scoring the fastest 50 in ODI: he scored 50 off 21 balls. Agarkar also holds another ODI record, which is the quickest in terms of fewest matches played to take 200 wickets and complete 1000 runs. Agarkar achieved this feat in 133 matches breaking the previous record held by South African [[Shaun Pollock]], who accomplished this feat in his 138th match.<ref>{{cite web|title= Agarkar Records|date=4 December 2020 |url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/news/happy-birthday-ajit-agarkar-top-5-glorious-moments-of-his-career-959963}}</ref>

During India's 1999-2000 tour of Australia, Agarkar set a record of five consecutive innings (seven consecutive innings against Australia)

resulting in [[Duck (cricket)|ducks]] (four of them first ball), which earned him the nickname "Bombay Duck".<ref name="IE2013"/><ref name="Beard">{{cite book |title=Ask Bearders |last=Frindall  |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Frindall |year=2009 |publisher=[[BBC Books]]|isbn=978-1-84607-880-4 |pages=80–81}}</ref> The wicket takers were [[Damien Fleming]], [[Brett Lee]](twice), [[Mark Waugh]] and [[Glenn McGrath]].

Agarkar represented [[Kolkata Knight Riders]] in [[Indian Premier League]] for three seasons. In the fourth season, he was contracted by [[Delhi Daredevils]] for US$210,000.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Binoy |first1=George |title=How the squads stack up |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/ipl-2011-how-the-ipl-squads-stack-up-495840 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=2 October 2023 |date=8 January 2011}}</ref>

He was also the captain of the [[Mumbai cricket team|Mumbai]] team that won the 2013 Ranji Trophy.<ref name="cricinfo"/> In the quarter-final, he scored 52* (from 53 balls) against [[Baroda cricket team|Baroda]] to ensure a mammoth total of 645/9 declared. In the semi-final against [[Services cricket team|Services]], he scored 145 and made a 246-run 7th wicket partnership with wicketkeeper [[Aditya Tare]] (120) to rescue Mumbai from 169/6, and take the total to 454/8 declared.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mumbai v Services, 2nd Semi-Final, Delhi, January 16 - 21, 2013 |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/ranji-trophy-2012-13-574010/services-vs-mumbai-2nd-semi-final-574135/full-scorecard |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=2 October 2023}}</ref>

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