Mohammad Azharuddin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Minister for Public Enterprises and Minorities Welfare[2] Government of Telangana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 31 October 2025[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor | Jishnu Dev Varma | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Minister | Revanth Reddy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 16 May 2009 (2009-05-16) – 16 May 2014 (2014-05-16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Shafiqur Rahman Barq | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar Singh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Moradabad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th President ofHyderabad Cricket Association | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 September 2019 – 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Working President of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 2 June 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1963-02-08)8 February 1963 (age 63) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Indian National Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 179 cm (5 ft 10 in)[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Mohammad Asaduddin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Nizam College Osmania University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Azhar, Azzu[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cricket career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cricket information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armmedium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 169) | 31 December 1984 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 2 March 2000 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 51) | 20 January 1985 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 3 June 2000 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–2000 | Hyderabad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–2001 | South Zone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1994 | Derbyshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source:ESPNcricinfo,13 February 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National Captaincy of M. Azharuddin | |
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| Allegiance |  India national cricket team |
| Captaincy | 1989–1996, 1998–1999 |
| Series | |
Mohammad Azharuddin (born 8 February 1963) is an Indian politician and a formercricketer who also served as theIndian national cricket team's captain. He was a right-handedmiddle order batter and an occasionalmedium fast bowler. He played 99Test matches and 334One Day Internationals for India. As a captain, he led the team to wins in the1990–91 and1995 Asia Cups and reached the semi-finals of the1996 Cricket World Cup. He was considered as one of the best ODI batsmen in the world and one of the greatest of his era. He captained India in threeCricket World Cups, the most by any Indian captain, all during the 1990s. He was also a part of the Indian squad which won the 1985World Championship of Cricket.
His cricketing career came to an abrupt end in 2000 after he was banned by theBoard of Control for Cricket in India for life due to his involvement in amatch fixing scandal. In 2012, theAndhra Pradesh High Court lifted the life ban after appeal.[5] In September 2019, he was elected as the president ofHyderabad Cricket Association.[6]
In 2009, Azharuddin joinedIndian National Congress and was elected as amember of parliament forMoradabad. He was appointed as theWorking President of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee in 2018.[7]
Azharuddin took oath as Minister in Telangana Cabinet on 31 October 2025,[8][9][10] allocated Minorities Welfare and Public Enterprises portfolios on November 4th and assumed charge on November 10th in Telangana Secretariat.[11][12][13]
Azharuddin was born on 8 February 1963 inHyderabad to Mohammad Azizuddin and Yousuf Sultana. He attendedAll Saints High School and graduated fromNizam College,Osmania University, with aBachelor of Commerce degree.[14]
Azharuddin recalled that his maternal uncle Mir Zainulabiddin "who captained the Osmania University inspired [him] to take to cricket".[15] Additionally, one Brother K. M. Joseph of the All Saints High School[15] played a role in inculcating the passion for cricket in him.[16] This was around 1973. Starting the 1977 season, Azharuddin was part of his high school team playing in the Hyderabad cricket league. He would subsequently play for the Deccan Blues team before going on to represent Osmania University in inter-university tournaments.[15]
Azharuddin began as aseam bowler before progressing quickly to bat at number three, besides being the third seamer, for Hyderabad Schools in the South Zone Schools against the visiting English Schools side.[16] He made hisfirst-class debut aged 18 in theRanji Trophy in its1981–82 season playing forHyderabad. In the 1982–83 and 1983–84 domestic seasons, Azharuddin scored 2,648 and 2,499 runs respectively.[15] His performances received recognition when he scored a double-century in theDuleep Trophy in January 1984, playing forSouth Zone.[16] In December that year, he scored centuries in both innings ofthe Ranji Trophy match againstAndhra.[15] In the same month, he earned a Test callup, againstthe visiting English side as a replacement toSandeep Patil, in the Third Test of the series to be played at theEden Gardens inCalcutta.[16]
Azharuddin made his international debut for India on 31 December 1984 against England. He scored 110 in his firstinnings.[17] He subsequently scored two morecenturies in his next two Test matches in the series,[18] and became the first player to score three centuries in his first three Tests.[19] Following the Test series, Azharuddin made hisOne Day International (ODI) debut against the same opposition atM. Chinnaswamy Stadium inBangalore on 20 January 1985. He made anunbeaten 47.[20] A month later, his unbeaten 93 took his team to victory againstPakistan at theWorld Championship of Cricket in a group stage fixture.[21]
After a lean patch of form in the Test format, Azharuddin scored his fourth Test centuryin 1986 against the visiting Sri Lankans inKanpur. He made 199, which included a 272-run stand withKapil Dev for the sixth in the first innings. The match resulted in adraw.[22]
In 1989, Azharuddin was appointed as the captain of the Indian team succeedingKrishnamachari Srikkanth.[23] He led the Indian team in 47 Test matches and 174 One Day Internationals.[23][24] He led the team to victory in 14 tests and 90 ODIs, both records until surpassed bySourav Ganguly andMS Dhoni respectively.[25][26]
DuringIndia's tour of England in 1990, Azharuddin scored 121 in the first Test atLord's.[27] Though India lost the match, former England cricketerVic Marks called it "the most dazzling Test century" he had ever witnessed, in his column forThe Observer.[28] In the second Test inManchester, Azharuddin scored his tenth Test century, making 179runs while putting on a 112-run stand withSachin Tendulkar in the first innings. Playing his 39th Test, he reached his century off 155 balls.[29] Azharuddin ended the series with 426 runs at an average of 85.20 which was the highest tally by an India captain in a Test series in England until it was broken byVirat Kohli in2018.[30][31]
Azharuddin led India to victory in the1990–91 Asia Cup beatingSri Lanka in the final. He scored 54 runs in the final and was namedMan of the Match.[32] He then led India at the1992 World Cup where his team were knocked out in the group stage and finished seventh out of nine teams with two wins in eight matches.[33] India won the1995 Asia Cup beating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in the final where Azharuddin captained the side and won the man of the match scoring runs.[34] Azharuddin again led the team in the1996 World Cup co-hosted by India.[35] India finished in third place in the group stage, qualifying for the quarter finals where they beatPakistan by 39 runs to make it to the semi finals.[36] India lost in the semifinals to Sri Lanka after the match was abandoned midway due to crowd trouble when India were eight wickets down for 120 runs in response to Sri Lanka's score of 251/8.[37]
During the second test ofSouth Africa's India tour in 1996–97 at Kolkata, Azharuddin scored a century off 74 deliveries equalingKapil Dev's record for the fastest test century by an India player and fourth overall, in terms of balls faced.[38][39] Azharuddin scored another century in the next test making an unbeaten 163 and helped India record their biggest win in Test history in terms of runs (280) at the time.[40] He was named theman of the match and the series after aggregating 388 runs at an average of 77.60[41][42] Azharuddin scored seven centuries in ODIs with a best of 153 coming againstZimbabwe on 9 April 1998 inCuttack.[43] He scored the last of his 22 centuries in tests against South Africa in Bangalore in March 2000, which also turned out to be the last test match in his career.[44] Azharuddin played the final match of his international career in an ODI against Pakistan on 3 June 2000 in the2000 Asia Cup.[45]
During India's tour ofSouth Africa in 2000, a series that was won by India 3–2, Azharuddin scored only 112 runs at an average of 28.[46] he was accused of match fixing in thematch fixing scandal that erupted in the aftermath of the series.[47] Then captain ofSouth AfricaHansie Cronje stated that Azharuddin was the one to introduce him tobookies.[48]International Cricket Council andBCCI banned Azharuddin for life based on a report byCentral Bureau of Investigation.[49][50]
In 2003, a trial court upheld the lifetime ban but it was later overturned on 8 November 2012 by adivisional bench of theAndhra Pradesh High Court.[51][52] In 2019, Azhar was elected as the president ofHyderabad Cricket Association.[6]
Azharuddin married Naureen in 1987 and they had two sons,Mohammad Asaduddin and Mohammad Ayazuddin. In 1996, he divorced Naureen and married actressSangeeta Bijlani.[26] After Azharuddin's rumored affairs with multiple people, notably badminton playerJwala Gutta, Sangeeta filed for a divorce in 2010.[53][54][55][56] His younger son Ayazuddin died in a bike accident in 2011.[57][58][59] His elder son Asaduddin is a domestic cricketer and he married Anam Mirza, the sister ofSania Mirza in 2019.[60][61]
Azharuddin was a right handed middle orderbatsman and an occasionalmedium fast bowler. He was known for his graceful and fluid batting style.[62]John Woodcock, a cricket writer, said of him, "It's no use asking an Englishman to bat like Mohammad Azharuddin. It would be like expecting a greyhound to winThe Derby."[63] Former cricketer and umpireSrinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan stated that "Azharuddin had the best wrists in the game".[26]Mike Atherton andAngus Fraser said Azharuddin's "genius was second only toBrian Lara among batsmen of their generation."[28]
Predominantly amiddle order batsman, Azharuddin played 99 test matches for India and scored 6,215 runs at anaverage of 45.03, including 22 centuries and 21 half-centuries.[64] He scored 9,378 runs inOne Day Internationals (ODIs) from 334 matches at an average of 36.92 and 156 catches as afielder.[64] Azharuddin made his debut with a 110against England inKolkata in 1984 and scored 102against South Africa inBangalore in his last match, becoming the first Indian and the fifth batsman ever to score a century in his first and last Test matches.[65]
| Team | Runs | Average | 100s | Highest score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 780 | 39.00 | 2 | 163* |
| England | 1978 | 58.09 | 6 | 182 |
| New Zealand | 1152 | 61.23 | 2 | 192 |
| Pakistan | 1089 | 40.47 | 3 | 141 |
| South Africa | 915 | 41.00 | 4 | 163* |
| Sri Lanka | 1215 | 55.23 | 5 | 199 |
| West Indies | 539 | 28.37 | 0 | 97 |
| Zimbabwe | 59 | 14.75 | 0 | 42 |
| Total | 6215 | 45.04 | 22 | 199 |
Azharuddin joinedIndian National Congress party on 19 February 2009. He won the2009 general election fromMoradabad inUttar Pradesh to become amember of parliament.[66] He contested the2014 election fromTonk–Sawai Madhopur inRajasthan but lost toSukhbir Singh Jaunapuria of theBharatiya Janata Party.[67] In 2018, he was appointed working president ofTelangana Pradesh Congress Committee.[68][69] He contested the2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election fromJubilee Hills in Hyderabad but lost toMaganti Gopinath of theBharat Rashtra Samithi.[70][71]
Azharuddin was awarded theArjuna Award in 1986 and India's fourth-highest civilian awardPadma Shri in 1988.[72] He was named one of fiveWisden'scricketers of the year for 1991.[73]Azharuddin has also received doctorate degree (honoris causa) from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi on 21 September 2023.[74]
TheBollywood filmAzhar, directed by Tony D'Souza, was based on his life. The film featuredEmraan Hashmi as Azharuddin and was released on 13 May 2016.[75][76] TheNetflix filmCaught Out: Crime. Corruption. Cricket. depicting the investigations and allegations of match fixing against former cricketers including Mohammad Azharuddin premiered on 17 March 2023.[77]
| Preceded by | Indian National Test Cricket Captain 1989/90 – 1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Indian National Test Cricket Captain 1997/98 – 1998/99 | Succeeded by |
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