Mohammad Azharuddin was born on 8th February, 1963 in Hyderabad. He was known for playing some incredibly classy shots by using his wrists to full effect.
Made 110 on debut
Azhar instantly became a household name after making his International debut for India. Against the strong England side at Eden Gardens back in 1984, Azhar made 110 runs and went on to score two more centuries in his next two games.
Impressive stint as skipper
Azhar was an attacking batsman who believed in making the most of the bad balls and had a solid defense against the good ones. He was named the captain of the Indian side in 1989. He had an impressive stint as a skipper and led India to 90 ODI victories in 174 matches as a captain. Azharuddin captained the India team in three World Cups- 1992, 1996 and 1999, the most by an Indian captain
First and last century
He went on to score 6,215 runs in 99 Tests for India at an impressive average of 45. Azhar has a unique record to his name. He scored a century in his very first game in Indian jersey as well as in the last Test match of his career.
Member of Parliament
Azhar joined the Indian National Congress back in 2009 and became a member of Parliament after winning from the Moradabad seat in General Elections the same year.
Accolades
Mohammad Azharuddin was honored with Arjuna Award in 1986 and Padma Shri in 1988. He was also named Wisden's Cricket of the Year in 1991.
The Match-Fixing Scandal
Azharuddin was banned by BCCI and ICC for his involvement in the Match-Fixing scandal in the year 2000 based on the report submitted by The Central Bureau of Investigation which stated that Azhar introduced South African captain Hansie Cronje to the bookies.
However, his ban was revoked by Andhra Pradesh High Court due to lack of evidence against him.
