Mohammad Azharuddin
Former Indian cricket captain and politician, known for his graceful batting and record of three centuries in his first three Tests.
Mohammad Azizuddin Azharuddin (born 8 February 1963) is an Indian politician and a former cricketer who also served as the Indian national cricket team's captain. He was a right-handed middle order batter and an occasional medium fast bowler. He played 99 Test matches and 334 One Day Internationals for India. As a captain, he led the team to wins in the 1990–91 and 1995 Asia Cups and reached the semi-finals of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. He was considered as one of the best ODI batsmen in the world and one of the greatest of his era. He captained India in three Cricket World Cups, the most by any Indian captain, all during the 1990s. He was also a part of the Indian squad which won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Captain & Top-order Batsman
- Debut year
- 1984
- Odi centuries
- 24 (Held record for years)
- World cup best
- Semi-finalist (1987, 1996)
- Status
- Retired
Lore & Background
Azharuddin made his international debut for India on 31 December 1984 against England, scoring 110 in his first innings. He became the first player to score three centuries in his first three Tests. He was appointed captain in 1989, succeeding Krishnamachari Srikkanth. He led India in 47 Test matches and 174 One Day Internationals, winning 14 tests and 90 ODIs, both records until surpassed by Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni respectively. His cricketing career ended in 2000 after a life ban by the BCCI for involvement in a match fixing scandal. The ban was lifted in 2012 by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. In 2019, he was elected president of Hyderabad Cricket Association.
Reader's Guide
Azharuddin was a right-handed middle order batsman and an occasional medium fast bowler. He played 99 Test matches, scoring 6,215 runs at an average of 45.03, with 22 centuries and 21 half-centuries. In ODIs, he scored 9,378 runs from 334 matches at an average of 36.92. He was known for his graceful and fluid batting style, with former cricketer and umpire Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan stating that 'Azharuddin had the best wrists in the game.' Mike Atherton and Angus Fraser said his 'genius was second only to Brian Lara among batsmen of their generation.'
Did You Know?
- He was elected as a member of parliament for Moradabad in 2009 as a member of the Indian National Congress.
- He took oath as a Minister in Telangana Cabinet on 31 October 2025, allocated Minorities Welfare and Public Enterprises portfolios.
More in Team History & Eras
Elsewhere in India National Cricket Team
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced