Kirti Azad

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Kirti Azad Biography

Indian cricket fans will remember Kirti Azad for his role in the World Cup 1983 semi-final. He bowled straight and slow, bowled Ian Botham, and finished with 12-1-28-1, playing a role in strangling England to 213. He scored a duck and wicketless in the final that followed, but became part of history nevertheless.

Later that year, Pakistan scored 197 for 3 in 50 overs in a Relief Fund match at Delhi. India were reduced to 80 for 6, but local boy Azad saw them home with 71 with 6 fours and 4 sixes. Unfortunately, the match was not given First-Class status.

Azad’s 25 ODIs fetched him 269 runs at a mere 14, along with 7 wickets at 39. In Tests the numbers were worse, 135 runs from 7 Tests at 11, and 3 wickets at 124. The numbers were ordinary, but his dazzling strokeplay and accurate off-breaks gave one the feeling that he could have been a star in the ODI era.

It was another story in domestic cricket, where his 6,634 runs came at 39 and 234 wickets at 31. In Ranji Trophy alone he got 4,869 runs at 47 and 162 wickets at 29. He also led Delhi to two Ranji Trophy finals.

Before that, Azad was a part of Bishan Singh Bedi’s Delhi that dared to take on Bombay and Karnataka in domestic cricket. Madan Lal, the Amarnath brothers, and Surinder Khanna took over from Bedi before the mantle passed over to Ajay Sharma and Azad.

In Ranji Trophy 1979-80, Azad scored 497 runs at 50 and claimed 14 wickets at 20. In the final alone he got 102, 3 for 55, 33, and 3 for 64, and smashed 94 in the Irani Cup match. Picked for the twin tours of Australia and New Zealand in 1980-81, he made his Test and ODI debuts without much success. He played 3 more Tests during the drab home series against England in 1980-81.

He had an excellent stint with Lowerhouse in the Lancashire League after he was left out of the 1982 England tour. He came for the World Cup, but did not play a Test after that winter. His ODI career lasted till 1986, though he continued to play for Delhi and Lowerhouse.

Azad became an MLA while he was active Ranji Trophy player, in 1993. In 1999 he was elected to Lok Sabha, and was re-elected in 2009. A member of DDCA, he has remained outspoken during scandals involving the organisation.

His sons Suryavardhan and Somyavardhan have both played age-group cricket for Delhi.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Kirti Azad Batting & Fielding Averages

Career	M	In	R	NO	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s	Ct	St
Test	7	12	135	0	24	11.25	298	45.30	0	0	8	--	3	0
ODIs	25	21	269	2	39*	14.15	381	70.60	0	0	18	8	7	0
T20s	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	3	2	15	0	15	7.500	2	750.0	0	0	1	0	--	--

Kirti Azad Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	7	750	373	3	124.3	2.984	250	0	0	2/48	2/48
ODIs	25	390	273	7	39.00	4.200	55.71	0	0	2/48	2/48
T20s	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	3	102	42	1	42.00	2.470	102.0	0	--	1/28	2/48

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