Issue 7 | 30 Dec. 2006

Vijay Bharadwaj - A forgotten hero bids goodbye in 2K6

Not all goodbyes are sweet. When Vijay Bharadwaj announced his retirement from cricket in year 2006, it created virtually no impact in the media. That’s how the cookie crumbles in the “commerce of cricket” where gods are remembered only so long as they answer the prayers of their fans. But Bharadwaj, or Pinga, as his teammates used to call him, was talented enough to win his fifteen minutes of fame in the 22-yard strip of his cricketing life.

A cricket-crazed India was all agog when this gangling lad from Karnataka with the unlikely looks of an academic made his ODI debut for India against New Zealand at the turn of the century in 2000. The series over, he left no one in even an iota of a doubt. Vijay Raghavendrarao Bharadwaj was voted Man of the Series; a delirious nation and a doting media rejoiced over the discovery of another star.

A runaway hit in the limited overs cricket, Bharadwaj arrived on the international scene with a bang. Or rather, with a double whammy – first with the ball, with his fastish off-breaks, and then with the bat, with rasping drives on either side of the wicket.

Beneath his knockdown cameos and drop dead bursts of wicket taking spells, Bharadwaj flaunted his never-say-die attitude on his sleeve. After all, he was no Johnie-come-lately.

In the 1998-99 Ranji, he piled up 1280 runs, a record in the history of the Ranji trophy for most runs scored in a single season. A big innings player, he showed an insatiable appetite for runs with scores of 200 n.o. against Kerala, 175 vs Haryana, 171 against Tamil Nadu and 124 vs Bihar. As bowler, he has turned in match winning performances, like his 6-wicket haul in the Ranji final and 6 for 34 against Goa in the south zone league. He also has the distinction of leading the under-19, under-21 and under-23 Karnataka sides, all in the same year.

Apart from the memorable series against New Zealand, Bharadwaj recalls the humdinger of a Ranji final between Karnataka and MP. After scoring 75 and 86, he picked up 6 crucial wickets to seal MP’s fate.

Even as a youngster, Bharadwaj showed that he was a man of crisis and character. This came to light in his very first Pentangular – in a match between Combined Colleges vs City XI. At nine wickets down for a paltry 50, Bharadwaj paired up with the last batsman to stitch up a partnership of 140 runs for the last wicket, and remained unconquered on 125.

Like his more accomplished and senior colleague Anil Kumble, Bharadwaj started out as a medium pacer. Later he turned to batting after a chance good knock in an under-19 game.

Today he is a forgotten hero, but the nation will celebrate his birthday every year – for he was born on Independence Day!