Dilip Vengsarkar

Dilip Balwant Vengsarkar (born 6 April 1956) is a former Indian cricketer and administrator. Known for his strong driving shots, he was a mainstay of India's batting order in the late 1970s and early 1980s, alongside Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath. He was part of India's victorious 1983 World Cup team and later captained the side to the 1988 Asia Cup title. He also featured in the squad that won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket. His international career lasted until 1992.

At his peak, Vengsarkar was ranked the world's best batsman according to the Coopers and Lybrand ratings, holding the top spot for 21 months until 2 March 1989. In 2014, he received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the BCCI's highest honor for a former player.

Vengsarkar debuted in Tests as an opener against New Zealand in Auckland during the 1975–76 season. Though India won that match, he did not perform well. He later settled into the No. 3 or No. 4 batting position. In the 1979 second Test against Pakistan at Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla, he played a memorable innings. Chasing 390 to win on the final day, he led the charge and brought India close to victory. After Yashpal Sharma, Kapil Dev, and Roger Binny fell after tea, Vengsarkar, running out of partners, opted to play for a draw. He remained unbeaten on 146 as India finished at 364 for 6, just 26 runs short. During the 1978–79 home series against the West Indies, he shared a partnership of over 300 runs with Sunil Gavaskar in Calcutta, with both scoring centuries.

As a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, he was struck on the face by a bouncer from Malcolm Marshall on 15 June during a match against the West Indies, requiring seven stitches and forcing him to miss the rest of the tournament. Between 1985 and 1987, he enjoyed a prolific run, scoring centuries against Pakistan, Australia, England, the West Indies, and Sri Lanka, often in consecutive matches. He was one of the few batsmen to consistently succeed against the fearsome West Indian pace attack of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Andy Roberts, scoring six centuries against them. In 1986, he scored a century at Lord's, making it three consecutive Test centuries at the ground.

Vengsarkar took over the captaincy from Kapil Dev after the 1987 World Cup, despite criticism for missing the semi-final due to a stomach disorder from a seafood allergy. He began his captaincy with two centuries in his first series, but his tenure was turbulent. He lost the role after a disastrous tour of the West Indies in early 1989 and a conflict with the BCCI.

He received the Arjuna Award in 1981, the Padma Shri in 1987, and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1987. He also earned the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award from the BCCI.

After retiring, Vengsarkar founded the Elf-Vengsarkar Academy in 1995. He became vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association in 2003. Though a front-runner for the chairman of selectors post, he opted out due to his opposition to zonal representation. He was appointed chairman of the Talent Resource Development Wing when it was created in 2002. He currently serves as chief adviser of the Cricket Association of Telangana. In March 2006, the BCCI proposed him as a match referee, but the plan stalled when he accepted the role of chairman of selectors later that year. He runs three cricket academies—two in Mumbai and one in Pune—offering free training to players selected on merit. He is also the team mentor and coach for the Telugu Warriors in Season 5 of the Celebrity Cricket League.

In the 2021 Bollywood film 83, about India's first World Cup win, Adinath Kothare portrayed Vengsarkar.