Sunil Valson

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sunil Valson

• Sunil Valson is a former Indian cricketer and a left-arm fast bowler who played domestic cricket from 1981 to 1987. He was the only cricketer who was selected for the 1983 World Cup but hasn’t played any game in that tournament.

  

• He started his cricket career where he represented Tamil Nadu in 1981-82. He bagged 26 wickets in five matches he played.

• This performance helped him to get selected in the South Zone team for the Duleep and Deodhar Trophy. Then he decided to play for Delhi in the next season.

• Soon, he got the call in the 14-member Indian squad for the 1983 World Cup. He was the 12th man in a match against Zimbabwe where Kapil Dev scored unbeaten 175 runs. However, he didn’t get the chance to feature in playing eleven.

  

• In the practice game before the World Cup against New Zealand, Sunil Valson took two wickets of their openers John Wright and Bruce Edgar. Despite, this performance he hasn’t played any international game.

• Post-1983 World Cup, he played for Railways and was part of the team that reached the 1987 Ranji Trophy Final.

• He joined GMR Sports, the company that runs the IPL franchise – Delhi Daredevils as an Associate Vice President in 2008 when IPL started. He also served as the Senior Manager in the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). Later, he became the manager for Cricket Operations with Delhi Daredevils and also had a successful stint at the DDCA as a Cricket Improvement Committee member. ^[1]Sportstar

• On 24 December 2021, a Bollywood movie ’83’ was released where R Badree played the role of Sunil Valson. This movie is based on India’s journey in winning the 1983 Cricket World Cup.

  

• In an interview, he revealed that just 12 days before the World Cup, he got the news that he is been selected in the Indian team for the mega tournament. At the time when he got the information, he was in England playing for the Durham West Coast league. To confirm the news, he called another team member Kirti Azad who was also playing club cricket there. Further, he adds, ^[2]Navbharat Times
  

  “I knew it would be very difficult to get into the playing XI. I didn’t get a chance to play the match, but 14 players in the team had won the World Cup and I was one of them. No one can take away this right from me.”

• In that World Cup, he was on a verge of getting into the playing eleven. He revealed,
  

  “Yes, there was one game. The second round-robin game against West Indies which we lost (by 66 runs). I don’t remember the ground (Oval). If I remember correctly Roger was having some niggle – hamstring or calf, I can’t recollect now. Kapil had said if Roger failed the fitness Test, I would play. Who isn’t excited at the whiff of an opportunity,”

• In 2014, BCCI decided to institute a new award dedicated to him for the achievements of cricketers, who have spent the most amount of time in the side-lines and dressing room.