Career of Dilip Vengsarkar
Known by the nickname 'Colonel', Vengsarkar was India's No 3 for many years. He has one of the highest batting averages for Test matches played in India.
Vengsarkar represented Bombay in the Ranji Trophy. He made his international cricket debut against New Zealand at Auckland in 1975–76 as an opening batsmen. The right-hand batsman played a memorable innings in 1979 against Pakistan in the 2nd Test at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
Vengsarkar represented Bombay in the Ranji Trophy. He made his international cricket debut against New Zealand at Auckland in 1975–76 as an opening batsmen. The right-hand batsman played a memorable innings in 1979 against Pakistan in the 2nd Test at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
He remained unbeaten at 146 in the match. Vengsarkar was a member of the 1983 World Champion's team. From 1986 to 1988, in 16 Tests, he scored eight hundreds. Between 1985 and 1987 the player had a productive run of scores as he scored centuries against Pakistan, England, Australia, West Indies and Sri Lanka.
At the height of his career he was rated as the best batsmen in the Coopers and Lybrand rating. Vengsarkar also scored a century in 1986 at Lord's and attained the distinction of scoring three consecutive Test match centuries at Lord's, the first to score three hundreds against England at Lord's.
Vengsarkar with Sunil Gavaskar holds the Indian record for the second wicket in Tests - 344 unbroken against West Indies at Calcutta in 1978-79. After the 1987 Cricket World Cup Vengsarkar was the captain of the Indian team and led the country in ten Tests.
After his retirement Vengsarkar started the Elf-Vengsarkar Academy in 1995. He runs three cricket academies two in Mumbai and one in Pune. In 2003 Vengsarkar became the Vice-President of the Mumbai Cricket Association and in 2002 he was made the Chairman of the Talent Resource Development Wing.
