Dilip Sardesai - Interesting Facts, Trivia, And Records About 'Sardee Maan'

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Former Indian cricketer Dilip Sardesai was born on 8th August 1940. He was one of the technically gifted batters of his time and played a major role in scripting India's famous win over West Indies in 1971. Sardesai was just 66 when he passed away due to multiple organ failure. 

Here are some interesting facts, trivia, and records about Dilip Sardesai: 

1) Dilip Sardesai was the first and only cricketer who was born in Goa (then a Portuguese territory) and represented India at the international level. 

2) Sardesai grew up in Margao, a town in former Portuguese India (now Goa). He studied in the New Era high school. His family moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1957, when Sardesai was 17. He attended Wilson College there. 

3) Sardesai used to play university cricket and got called up to give trials for the Combined Universities team that was to play the touring Pakistan side in 1960–61. He impressed Lala Amarnath, chairman of selectors, with his technique, and eventually made his first-class debut against Pakistan.

4) Dilip Sardesai scored 212 runs against West Indies at Sabina Park in 1970-71 and became the first Indian to score a double hundred outside India. Later in the same series, Sardesai hit a 150 to become the first Indian to score two 150s outside India. 

5) While going West Indies in 1971, Sardesai was asked to declare if he had anything. He said: “I have come here with runs, and I’ll go back with more.” He ended up scoring 642 runs in that series, including two centuries and one double hundred. 

6) Dilip Sardesai scored 3599 runs for Bombay in Ranji Trophy. In 61 matches Sardesai played, Bombay never lost even a single game. 

7) In 2009,  the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Goa, instituted the Dilip Sardesai Sports Excellence Award, which is given on National Sports Day (29 August) every year.  

8) Sopandev Yeshwantrao Sardesai, Dilip's cousin, played seven first-class matches for Rajputana and Rajasthan, while his son, Rajdeep Sardesai - now a renowned journalist, also played seven first-class games. 

9) Milind Deora, the South Mumbai politician, had named a chowk (crossing) The Dilip Sardesai Chowk near Colaba. 

10) Dilip Sardesai played 30 test matches for India in which he scored 2001 runs. In 179 first-class matches, Sardesai amassed 10230 runs, where he hit 25 centuries.