Last Updated:August 18, 2025, 11:38 IST
Karsan Ghavri has discussed Sunil Gavaskar’s stubbornness, citing his slow 1975 World Cup innings and refusal to meet the Indian PM during his playing days.
Sunil Gavaskar is one of India’s greatest batters. (PTI Photo)
Former India all-rounder Karsan Ghavri has said that Sunil Gavaskar was a very stubborn and adamant individual during his playing days and he would bat in his way, no matter what the message from the dressing room was and could even ‘get away with murder’.
Gavaskar was the undisputed leader of Indian cricket, long before the term “alpha male” became popular worldwide. There is a reason why he is still revered in the Indian cricketing circuit.
As Ghavri recalled, Gavaskar always did things on his terms; that is how powerful he was. One of the most infamous chapters of the latter’s career was his slow innings of 36 off 174 deliveries in the maiden edition of the World Cup in 1975.
“We, as Indian cricketers, didn’t know how to play ODIs. In the first match, England scored 334, but when we came to bat, Sunil played out all 60 overs in that particular match. So many times, messages were sent, asking him to either accelerate or get out, trying to pick the pace,” Ghavri said while speaking on Vickey Lalwani’s podcast.
“But Sunil Gavaskar was Sunil Gavaskar in the 1970s. He wouldn’t listen to anyone. He just played out Tony Grieg, Geoff Arnold, Chris Old and Bob Willis. The reason he gave after the match was, ‘I was facing these guys, practising against them for the Tests in the future,” Ghavri said.
“There was turmoil in the dressing room. When our manager asked him, Gavaskar said ‘Leave me alone,” Ghavri added.
The former India all-rounder went on to share another anecdote about when Gavaskar refused to answer the Indian Prime Minister.
The Indian team was playing a Test against Australia at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. On the day of the game, Morarji Desai was to meet the players of both sides.
“Sunil Gavaskar was all set. Padded up. He was sitting in the dressing room and concentrating. Raj Singh Dungarpur was there and in the meantime, he was concentrating. Sunil was about to go out and bat in a few minutes,” Ghavri said.
“Raj Singh said, ‘Come on, everyone. The Prime Minister is here. The introduction will take place. It will take just 2-3 minutes.’ Everybody went out, but Sunil said, ‘I am not coming,” Ghavri added.
“Sunil batted till tea and scored some runs also. At the end of the day’s play, we didn’t know that the PM had come to the dressing room only to meet Gavaskar. This is how Sunil Gavaskar, in his prime, right from 1971 to 1987, was always a champion. He could get away with murder,” Ghavri said.
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