On this day: Birth of the versatile Navjot Singh Sidhu
Navjot Singh Sidhu tried several fields in his career and kept proving his all-around mettle in the country. A former cricketer, commentator, and politician, he left a mark everywhere he put his foot. He also held the position of Minister of Local Government, Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the State of Punjab. In the field of professional cricket, he had a glorious career of 19 years after he marked his debut in 1981-82.
Sidhu made his Test debut in the year 1983 when he was roped in as a replacement for the injured Dilip Vengsarkar. He could only manage 20 runs in 90 minutes before he left the pitch. Another dismal performance followed in the final Test in Madras (now Chennai) and was dropped from the national team. He only got the chance to show his calibre again four years later.
The Peak
Sidhu received a call for the 1987 World Cup and showed his ultimate class to impress the team management. He came up with four back to back stunning fifties to get the team over the line in required situations. The first fifty came in his ODI debut against Australia, where he smashed 73 off 79 balls. Though India lost the match, they found a new hero in Sidhu. After hitting this feat, he became the first player to score four straight half-centuries on debut in the ODI format of the game.
He kept moving in the same form during the Asia Cup too, where he scored three fifties in four innings to get labelled as the man of the tournament. However, Sidhu could return to the Test team only after five years when he replaced Mohinder Amarnath. He again stunned people with a century in the first innings of the Bangalore Test. Sidhu played 51 Tests and 136 ODIs to get 3202 and 4413 runs respectively in his account. He also had 9571 runs in his first-class career. His double ton against West Indies in Test cricket remains his career-best in cricket.
Sixer Sidhu
During his career, he was known for his attacking tendency towards spinners and earned the title as “Sixer Sidhu.” He was also referred to as ‘Jonty Singh’ referring to his fielding that saw a great improvement towards the end of his career. The reference was drawn from Jonty Rhodes, who is regarded as one of the best fielders cricket ever witnessed.
Television and Politics career
After retirement, Sidhu tried his hands at commentary, where he impressed people with his hilarious and lively style of speaking. His energetic sense and antics attracted a lot of fans. He also appeared as a big name in the television world after he judged some comedy shows. The most notable of all was The Kapil Sharma Show, where he held the seat of the judge and entertained people with his Shayris. He also competed in a reality show Big Boss in the year 2012.
Sidhu joined BJP in the year 2004 and stood up for general elections from Amritsar the same year. He won this seat and held it for the next fourteen years. In 2017, he joined the Indian National Congress and was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Amritsar.
The man is celebrating his 56th birthday today and we wish him a wonderful year ahead.
