Ajit Agarkar Turns 46: The Bowler Who Rose from Humble Beginnings to BCCI Chief Selector

Ajit Agarkar ranks among the most-talented bowling all-rounders that India has ever produced. Known for his bowling prowess, Agarkar also shattered several batting records during his decorated career spanning nearly a decade. The Mumbai-born cricketer made his debut for the Indian team in 1998, featuring in an ODI against Australia at Kochi. Before bidding adieu to international cricket in 2007, Agarkar represented his country in 191 ODIs and 24 Tests, fetching 288 and 58 wickets respectively. However, he continued to play domestic matches for Mumbai.

Three years after retirement, Agarkar fetched a five-wicket haul in a Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka, helping his team to claim an easy victory on the fourth day. He also captained the Mumbai unit in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy and won the tournament before turning his back on all forms of cricket ahead of the next domestic season. Agarkar is currently contracted with the BCCI as the chief of the selection committee.

Today on December 4, Ajit Agarkar celebrates his 46th birthday. On this special occasion, let’s take a look at some rare facts about the former cricketer.

5 Interesting Facts About Ajit Agarkar

1. Ajit Agarkar started off his career in junior cricket as a batter. But he later shifted his focus to bowling before debuting for the senior team of Mumbai. Agarkar was coached by Ramakant Achrekar, whose list of disciples includes big names like Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli.
2. Agarkar took only 23 ODIs to reach the tally of 50 wickets in the format, which was a record at that point in time. Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis surpassed Agarkar in 2009 by reaching the milestone in the 19th ODI of his career.
3. During an Australia tour in 1999, Agarkar recorded five consecutive ducks in Tests against the visiting unit. When the Aussies came to India for a bilateral assignment in 2001, Agarkar once again failed to open his account in the first two games.
4. Agarkar registered the only century of his Test career against England at the home of cricket– Lord’s in 2002.
5. Agarkar was part of the MS Dhoni-led squad that won the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. He featured in the first two games of the tournament but was dropped from the playing eleven later due to a below-par performance against New Zealand in the Super 8 round.

Ajit Agarkar’s Top 5 Bowling Performances In ODI Cricket

1. 6/42 vs Australia, 2004Ajit Agarkar’s maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs came during an away game against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in January 2004. He returned with figures of 6-34. Thanks to his lethal show, India managed to restrict the hosts to 288 runs in the first innings. Coming to chase, the Men in Blue fell 18 runs short of the target.
2. 5/44 vs Sri Lanka, 2005In November 2005, Ajit Agarkar grabbed another ODI five-for against Sri Lanka on home soil. The visitors batted first and were bundled out for 261 runs. In response, India reached the target comfortably in 45.4 overs while losing only six wickets.
3. 4/18 vs Zimbabwe, 2005Ajit Agarkar appeared at his devastating best during an ODI against Zimbabwe in 2005. The right-arm pacer picked up four wickets in his 9-over spell. Irfan Pathan claimed a five-wicket haul as India registered a huge 161-run win in the match.
4. 4/25 vs Zimbabwe, 2000Only two years after his international debut, Ajit Agarkar hit the headlines by notching a four-fer in an ODI against Zimbabwe. He was also quite economical in the game, conceding only 25 runs in 9.4 overs. India got a paltry target of 166 runs and won the match by 9 wickets.
5. 4/27 vs Kenya, 2001In 2001, India featured in an ODI tri-series featuring hosts Kenya and South Africa. In the fourth match of the campaign, Agarkar took four wickets against Kenya. India secured a 10-wicket victory in the game by chasing down a 91-run target.