Cricket in India isn’t just a sport; it’s a national obsession, with players yearning for the roar of hometown fans during international showdowns. For Rohan Gavaskar, son of the iconic Sunil Gavaskar, that dream remained tantalizingly out of reach. Born February 20, 1976, in Kanpur, Rohan entered a world where cricket was destiny, but his career carved a distinct niche far from his father’s blueprint.
Opting for Bengal over Mumbai roots, the left-hander brought flair to the middle order, contrasting Sunil’s right-handed opening solidity and patient accumulations. Rohan’s 11 ODIs, spanning nine months from January to September 2004, were exclusively overseas—against Australia, England, Pakistan, and Netherlands. His 151 runs came at a strike rate reflecting his attacking bent, highlighted by a top score of 54.
In domestic arenas, Rohan was a colossus. Leading Bengal, he notched 18 first-class hundreds in 6,938 runs across 117 games and dominated List A cricket with 3,157 runs, including 19 half-centuries. His IPL stint with KKR added modern flair to his resume. Yet, the absence of home internationals gnaws—a quirk of selection timing and team dynamics.
Hanging up his boots in 2012, Rohan now lends his voice to broadcasts, much like his father. On his birthday, reflections pour in on what could have been: a career overshadowed yet resilient, defined not by peaks matching Sunil’s Everest but by the empty stadiums back home that echoed only ‘what if.’ Rohan’s tale is a lesson in cricket’s unforgiving lottery.