Remembering The West Indian Greatest Batsman: Rohan Kanhai

Rohan Kanhai is a former West Indian cricketer who represented his country from 1957 to 1974. He was born in Port Mourant, British Guiana, on December 26, 1935. (Now Guyana).

Kanhai was known for his elegant strokeplay and excellent footwork. He was a right-handed batsman and also occasionally bowled off-spin. He played 79 Test matches for the West Indies, scoring 6,227 runs at an average of 47.53, with 15 centuries and 28 half-centuries.

Personal Information

About Him

Many people may be surprised to learn that Rohan Kanhai began his career as a wicketkeeper-batsman. He really kept wickets in his first three Tests for the West Indies. He is still remembered as a daring and bold batter. Kanhai, widely regarded as the finest batsman of the 1960s, was also a crowd pleaser.

The Guyana batter had a few signature strokes, the most notable of which was the falling hook shot. He would be laying on his back on the ground as he finished this stroke. He had to wait until his 13th Test to score his first Test century, but he was unstoppable after that. It came against India in Calcutta, and he also had a productive trip. He quickly became a favourite of the Indian fans, who cheered on Kanhai even if their side was losing. Sunil Gavaskar named his son Rohan after Kanhai, whom he regarded the best batsman he had ever seen, such was his impression on Indians.

Kanhai held his own even while playing with the three W’s and Garry Sobers, and eventually took over as West Indies captain from the latter. As a captain, he experienced both success and failure in equal measure. His form deteriorated in 1974, as West Indies only achieved a draw at home against England. As a result, he was compelled to retire from Tests. He appeared in a few One-Day Internationals and was part of the winning 1975 campaign. He even shot a fifty in the tournament final

Career Statistics

Career Information