Not many names are respected and worshiped in the legends of Indian cricket like the Little Master, Sunil Gavaskar. Long before the present cricketing giants like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli were even in the picture, Gavaskar was already the original Indian batting legend that the words and deeds have created. With his indomitable spirit, unparalleled skill, and intentions, no matter how big the run was, to score and bring the matches home, Sunil Gavaskar wrote his legacy by being an indomitable batting powerhouse.
Let’s delve into his records in the glorious tapestry of Indian Cricket:
Sunil Gavaskar stood out as the pillar of Indian Cricket: In the era of Fast Bowlers
It was 1971 when Gavaskar made his test debut against the formidable West Indies; he entered a world full of challenging surfaces and fierce fast bowlers. However, the young 22-year-old Gavaskar shocked the cricket world by setting a record of 774 runs in his very first series, that record was not only his victory but also a global remark. When overseas victory for India was rare, Gavaskar gave India cricket hope.
Due to a nail infection, Gavaskar missed his first test, but he made the winning runs in the second Test in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, scoring 65 and 67 not out, giving India their first-ever victory over the West Indies. In that same series, he made his first test century in the third test.
He became the second player after Doug Walters to achieve a century and a double century in the same Test match. Until Shubman Gill did it again against England at Edgbaston in July 2025, he was the only Indian to accomplish this feat.
Other records he made in this series:
- He became the first Indian to reach 4 test centuries in one test series.
- The second Indian to reach two centuries in a single Test after Vijay Hazare.
- The third Indian to reach three consecutive centuries after Hazare and Polly Umrigar.
- Sunil Gavaskar scored more than 700 runs in this series, and his 774 774 runs at 154.80 are still the most runs any batsman has ever scored in a debut series.
The Milestone of 10,000 runs!
Another of the many contributions that the cricketer is credited with is the milestone when Sunil Gavaskar became the first batsman to accumulate 10,000 runs in Tests. This enabled him to break this record, and this was what made him the man of such a consistent and devoted trait when cricket was not as batsmen-friendly as it is in the present. The 10,122 runs that he had scored at an average of 51.12 in 125 Test matches at the time were an incredible feat by their very nature, given the times.
It is also remarkable that this record was created at a time when not so many cricketers had scored even the 7000 runs score. Sunil Gavaskar not only set the world standard of excellence but also set the standard for Indian cricketers.
The Little Master: A Pioneer in Skills and Cognitive Strength
Sunil Gavaskar not only excelled by scoring runs, but also due to how he scored the runs. He stood proudly and calmly before the quickest bowlers the world had ever seen in the finest type of defence without the protection of a helmet, when broken arms and injured ribs were a frequent thing to many. He confronted personalities like Michael Holding to Dennis Lillee, and most of the time he won.
He had a reputation for batting out innings, and the long game is often credited to him for slowing down the actions of the opponents. In spite of how it was mocked during his time, the evidence of his loyalty to the old way of bat and ball playing was his 36 not out in the epic 60-over ODI that Australia played against England in 1975, where the wickets were the key.
List of Records & Achievements of Sunil Gavaskar:
- Sunil Gavaskar became the first Test cricketer to have scored more than 10,000 runs.
- Gavaskar was also the holder of the world test century record before Sachin Tendulkar broke his record in 2005..
- He is the only debutant to have the highest runs in a series (774 runs).
- Sunil Gavaskar is the most successful batter in the series against the West Indies.
- Gavaskar is the only batsman to score 4 successive centuries in 2 venues- Wankhede Stadium and Port of Spain.
- Later in 1980, he was also one of the Wisden cricketers of the year.
- In the year 1980 he received Padma Bhusan award.
A Heritage that Encourages Generation After Generation
Newcomers who are breaking his records are emerging, but still, Gavaskar is an inspiration. Gavaskar holds one of the longest-standing records, which was broken in July 2025 when India’s young sensation Shubman Gill broke the record of Gavaskar and became the youngest Indian batsman to achieve 1500 test runs as captain. The aura that Sunil Gavaskar has gained and the respect it entails remain unaffected, although the records are intended to be further improved.
History Made! 🙌🏻🫡@tatacapital proudly celebrates #TeamIndia skipper @ShubmanGill for his heroic feat of becoming the highest run-scoring Indian captain in a Test series! 🇮🇳👏🏻
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 31, 2025
P.S: He surpasses #SunilGavaskar who scored 732 runs against West Indies during 1978/79 series.… pic.twitter.com/pKWumCz1UI
Additionally, Sunil Gavaskar is a brilliant, innovative batter who reshaped Indian cricket. He was a classy batsman capable of taking on the best opposition bowlers and provided the Indian fans with a role model. The name of Sunil Gavaskar has been written in the history of cricket because of the pride and the determination that he gave the Indian cricket and the milestones he accomplished.
Tanya Singh
Before that a little of people know about his stats hope this will reach every Indian Cricket fans