Vijay Bharadwaj
Encyclopedia
Raghvendrarao Vijay Bharadwaj (born August 15, 1975, in Bangalore
) is a former India
n cricket
er. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm offbreak bowler. He was a key architect of Karnataka
's three Ranji Trophy
triumphs in the 1990s. He won the Man of the Series award on his debut one day international series against South Africa
in the LG Cup in Kenya
in the 1999–2000 season. Bharadwaj currently coaches Karnataka in Ranji Trophy.
debut for Karnataka
in 1994. In his first-class career spanning from 1994 to 2006, he played in 96 matches, scoring 5553 runs and grabbing 59 wickets. A slipped-disc problem that afflicted his lower back during India's tour of Australia in 2000 under Sachin Tendulkar
's captaincy, undid Bharadwaj's career. Though he recovered from the injury, he not able to replicate his form from the 1998–99 domestic season when he scored 1463 runs and grabbed 21 crucial wickets to help Karnataka
defeat Madhya Pradesh
in the Ranji final, close on the heels of its earlier titles in the 97-98 and 95-96 seasons. Bharadwaj last played for Karnataka
in the 2004–05 season. He also played for Jharkand in 2005 for the Ranji Trophy
Plate League, after being overlooked by the selectors of the Karnataka
team.
in the 1999–2000 season after an impressive season in Indian domestic cricket in which he scored more than 1000 runs. He made his ODI debut in the LG Cup
in Nairobi and initially impressed with his bowling in particular. Where he got 10 wickets at an impressive average of 12.20 and also scoring 89 crucial unbeaten runs lower down the order, all through the tournament. However, poor performances in the following Test
and ODI matches against New Zealand
saw him dropped from the front.
He continued to produce strong performances in domestic cricket which caught the selectors' eyes and allowed him to stay within contention, but other than a 2003 tour with the India A team against England
he did not get further opportunities at international level.
He retired from all forms of cricket on November 4, 2006. He took up coaching after retirement and presently the coach of the Karnataka
Ranji Trophy Super League squads.
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
) is a former India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm offbreak bowler. He was a key architect of Karnataka
Karnataka cricket team
Karnataka cricket team is a cricket team that represents the Indian state of Karnataka in domestic first class cricket. One of the strongest teams in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group, it has produced many of the Indian cricket team's leading players throughout its existence...
's three Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
triumphs in the 1990s. He won the Man of the Series award on his debut one day international series against South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in the LG Cup in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in the 1999–2000 season. Bharadwaj currently coaches Karnataka in Ranji Trophy.
Domestic career
Bharadwaj made his Ranji TrophyRanji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
debut for Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
in 1994. In his first-class career spanning from 1994 to 2006, he played in 96 matches, scoring 5553 runs and grabbing 59 wickets. A slipped-disc problem that afflicted his lower back during India's tour of Australia in 2000 under Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
's captaincy, undid Bharadwaj's career. Though he recovered from the injury, he not able to replicate his form from the 1998–99 domestic season when he scored 1463 runs and grabbed 21 crucial wickets to help Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
defeat Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
in the Ranji final, close on the heels of its earlier titles in the 97-98 and 95-96 seasons. Bharadwaj last played for Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
in the 2004–05 season. He also played for Jharkand in 2005 for the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
Plate League, after being overlooked by the selectors of the Karnataka
Karnataka cricket team
Karnataka cricket team is a cricket team that represents the Indian state of Karnataka in domestic first class cricket. One of the strongest teams in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group, it has produced many of the Indian cricket team's leading players throughout its existence...
team.
International career
Vijay Bharadwaj was first called up to the Indian national teamIndian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
in the 1999–2000 season after an impressive season in Indian domestic cricket in which he scored more than 1000 runs. He made his ODI debut in the LG Cup
LG Cup in Kenya in 1999-2000
The LG Cup 1999–2000 was a four team cricket ODI tournament held in Kenya. After the round robin stage, the final took place between South Africa and India. Despite only making his international debut in India's opening game of the tournament, Vijay Bhardwaj won the man of the series award...
in Nairobi and initially impressed with his bowling in particular. Where he got 10 wickets at an impressive average of 12.20 and also scoring 89 crucial unbeaten runs lower down the order, all through the tournament. However, poor performances in the following Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and ODI matches against New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
saw him dropped from the front.
He continued to produce strong performances in domestic cricket which caught the selectors' eyes and allowed him to stay within contention, but other than a 2003 tour with the India A team against England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
he did not get further opportunities at international level.
He retired from all forms of cricket on November 4, 2006. He took up coaching after retirement and presently the coach of the Karnataka
Karnataka cricket team
Karnataka cricket team is a cricket team that represents the Indian state of Karnataka in domestic first class cricket. One of the strongest teams in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group, it has produced many of the Indian cricket team's leading players throughout its existence...
Ranji Trophy Super League squads.