Madan Lal is a former Indian Test and ODI cricketer whose contributions to the game have made him a stalwart of Indian cricket. His full name is Madan Lal Udhouram Sharma and he was born on 20th March, 1951 in Amritsar, Punjab, India. Madan had a forte for cricket which he sincerely pursued over his career years. His scintillating first-class record and invaluable contribution at the international level simply prove the true worth of this cricket player. The major teams that Madan Lal has represented are India, Delhi and Punjab.
Madan Lal was an outstanding cricketer was proved his utility in both Tests and ODI’s. He was a gutsy middle-order batsman whose enthusiastic batting clinched many a match win for India, as well as an effective medium-pace bowler. Madan Lal had a successful first-class career that included an incredible Ranji Trophy record. He played 232 first-class matches, scoring an amazing 10204 runs and taking 625 wickets.
Madan Lal made his Test debut for India against England at Manchester in June 1974. Since then he has played 39 Tests, scoring 1,042 runs at an average of 22.65, and taking 71 wickets at 40.08, along with 15 catches. Madan Lal had several notable Test performances like his commendable bowling against England at Bombay (1981) and his brilliant 74 against Pakistan at Bangalore (1983).
Although he had an on-and-off Test career owing to the selectors experimenting with young talent, he always made a comeback. Madan Lal made his one-day international debut against England at Leeds in July 1974, and since then has played 67 ODI’s, scoring 401 runs and taking 73 wickets, which also included two Cricket World Cups- the 1975 Cup Event and the unforgettable 1983 Cricket World Cup which won them the Champions Title.
Even after retirement, Madan Lal continued to serve the game by coaching the Indian national squad, the India A side, the UAE team, as well as served as a member of the Selection Committee (2000/01). For his immense contribution to Indian Cricket, Madan Lal was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1989.