Sunil Gavaskar was arguably the first batting superstar of India, and the legacy was subsequently carried forward by Sachin Tendulkar first and then by Virat Kohli. There are many similarities between the three iconic cricketers.
All three of them captained India, they also won the World Cup. In fact, Tendulkar and Kohli won the ODI World Cup together in 2011. This was the former's last appearance in the marquee event and the latter's first.
Interestingly, all three of them share a very unique November
connection, which given their batting prowess and achievements for India, makes for a very fascinating coincidence.
1) Sunil Gavaskar's Last International Match - November 5, 1987
Sunil Gavaskar debuted for India in a Test match against the West Indies all the way back in March 1971. He had an illustrious career, in which he became the first batter to pass 10,000 runs in Test cricket. A member of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian team, Gavaskar bid farewell to international cricket after playing an ODI against England on November 5, 1987, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
2) Virat Kohli Is Born - November 5, 1988
A year after Sunil Gavaskar's retirement, Virat Kohli is born on the exact same date, someone who would go on to have a grand career, lead international cricket stats, and bag multiple ICC trophies. During the 2023 edition of the 50-over World Cup, Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's tally (49) of most centuries in the format. The Delhi batter is still active in international cricket, playing in ODIs, after retiring from T20Is in 2024 and Tests earlier this year.
3) Sachin Tendulkar Debuts For India - November 15, 1989
A year and 10 days after Virat Kohli's birth, Sachin Tendulkar earned his maiden international cap, playing a Test match against Pakistan. He spent 24 years in international cricket, becoming the only cricketer to amass 100 centuries across formats. Tendulkar has scored most runs in international cricket. In 664 international games, he aggregated 34,357 runs. Interestingly, the Mumbai batter's last international appearance also came in the month of November.
