10 Interesting Kiran More facts that you need to know

10 Interesting Kiran More facts that you need to know: Every time you list India’s top wicket-keepers, Kiran More’s name will necessarily appear there. His debut in international cricket was nothing short of a miracle. He had to fight fiercely for his place in Indian squad with the likes of Chandrakant Pandit, Sadanand Vishwanath and others. However, More’s consistency prevailed as his good form with bat and behind the stumps prevailed him.

Kiran More’s international spans from 1984 to 1993 during which he played 49 Tests, managed 130 dismissals (110 catch + 20 stumps) and scored 1285 runs with 7 half-centuries. He also has 90 dismissals (63 catches + 27 stumps) to his credit in 94 ODIs that he was a part of.

The flamboyant cricketer turns 53 today and here we have the 10 Interesting Kiran More facts that you need to know:

1. North Lancashire League: Before making it into Indian Cricket Team, talented Kiran More wanted to hone his wicket-keeping skills more. He straightaway went to Barrow for North Lancashire league in 1982-83. On his return, he performed well in the first-class matches that followed.

2. West Indies tour: Kiran More went to West Indies in 1982-83 tour as a substitute to Syed Kirmani, but somehow the series remained non-starter for him. He returned home without playing a single Test match there.

3. Ranji Trophy season 1983-84: The domestic championship was the turning point of More’s career. The little cricketer played two mammoth innings (153* and 181*) for Baroda and helped his team reach the semi-final of this tournament.

4. Excellent 1986 tour of England: Kiran More’s magnificent work behind the stumps and with the bat made him overnight star in this series against England. He finished the tour with 16 catches and amassed 156 runs at an average of 52. His average was the second best in the series.

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5. Maiden ODI series and drop: Interestingly, in his debut ODI series, he couldn’t manage any dismissal and didn’t get any chance to bat either. Though he was good with the gloves, yet he remained out of the Indian ODI squad for more than a year.

6. World Record (1988): Two years later, Kiran More created a world record when he stumped 6 batsmen in a Test against West Indies in Chennai. The magical bowling from the debutant Narender Hirwani helped the hasty wicket keeper achieve the world record of 6 stump-outs by any wicket keeper in a Test.

7. Big Blunder: Kiran more is still remembered for dropping Graham Gooch’s catch during the Lord’s Test in 1990. England’s Graham Gooch edged a simple catch to More off Sanjeev Sharma, but he simply put it down on 36. Later on, the batsman hammered 333 against India in the first innings and then again 123 in the second innings of the Test to script a 247-run win for England.

8. Javed Miandad – Kiran More Saga: Who can forget that match? Frustrated with Kiran More’s constant appealing Pakistan’s Javed Miandad leaped up and down to taunt the keeper during the India-Pakistan clash at 1992 Cricket World Cup. Since then, the image has become the face of the Indo-Pak rivalry.

9. Sourav Ganguly’s ouster: Following his retirement from all forms of cricket, More was appointed Chairman of the BCCI selection Committee from 2002-2006. During Ganguly-Chappel controversy, his decision to drop the former Indian captain from the team invited sharp criticism from fans and media.

10. ICL Controversy: If that was not enough, Kiran More invited a bigger controversy a year later. He joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) as its executive director in 2007 following which BCCI banned him and Kapil Dev along with few other cricketers. However, he was granted amnesty by the Board in 2012.

Currently, the wicket-keeper batsman heads the Kiran More-Alembic Cricket Academy in Vadodara, Gujarat.