Viv Richards is widely considered as one of the most distinguished and prominent great batsmen in the History of Cricket, and amongst the most destructive and hard hitting batsmen in the world too.
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About Viv Richards:
Born on 7 March 1952, Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards KNH, OBE is an Antiguan retired legendary cricketer, who represented the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991. He batted generally at number three in a dominant West Indies side and he is universally regarded as one of the greatest batting exponents of all time-Tells Hirav Shah, Renowned Sports Strategist and Advisor.
Viv Richards’s Early Life:
In St. John’s, Antigua, then part of the British Leeward Islands, Richards was born to Malcolm and Gretel Richards. His dad was a cricketer, he played for Antigua and Barbuda and hence the cricketing germ was already in Viv’s DNA.
At a young age, Richards could discover more about cricket because his siblings Mervyn and Donald, both played cricket, representing Antigua as amateurs, and they pushed him to play the game and the rest is History as we say…
Viv Richards’s Family:
Richards and his wife Miriam have been blessed with two children, including Mali, who is also a well known name in first-class cricket. Richards also happens to be the godfather to Liam, Ian Botham’s son.
Richards also is the biological father of fashion designer Masaba Gupta.
Actually, Richards had a brief relationship with Indian actress Neena Gupta, from whom Masaba was born.
Horoscope of Viv Richards:
| Date of Birth | 7 March 1952 | |||
| Place of Birth | Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda | |||
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces | |||
| Birth Number | 7 Ruled by Neptune | |||
| Destiny Number | 9 Ruled by Mars | |||
| Lucky Number | 1, 2, 7 |
Life Lessons from Viv Richards:
1.Keep It Simple
The most intimidating batsman in modern cricket, played without a helmet and with a willow that was not omnipotent- Must be sounding unbelievable…but that’s what Viv did and believed in. He kept it simple. The simpler, the better.
All he had by way of any help was a chewing gum — his world famous habit at the crease, which became a style statement in cricket.
The takeaway is to “not complicate things.The simpler, the easier. The easier, the better”.
2.Taking Calculated Risks
Richards believed in taking calculated risks. He also believed in the fact that “change doesn’t exist without calculated risk.”
In the cricketing field there are thousands of instances where Viv Richards had taken calculated risks.
Richards also admired other people like Branson for his ability to take risks. Richards had quoted-“I like the chances that he took. You hear that saying over and over again — he who dares or she who dares wins. I think that sort of attitude and mentality was present in Branson”.
Viv Richards’s Legacy
Viv Richards became the first ever batsman to score a Test century at a strike rate of over 150, in 1986.
He also hammered the fastest hundred in Test history (56 balls) in 1986, being the sole record owner until his record was first equalled by Misbah-ul-Haq and this was in 2014… and then conquered by Brendon McCullum’s 54-ball hundred and this was in 2016.
The fastest batsman to 1,000 ODI runs (21 innings) was Richards and this record has been equalled now by Kevin Pietersen, Babar Azam, Jonathan Trott and Quinton de Kock.
Richards also holds the record for the highest ever 10th wicket partnership in ODI history(106*), along with Michael Holding.
The highest individual ODI score record when batting at number 4 position (189*) also belongs to Richards.
The first player to complete the double of scoring 1000 runs and taking 50 wickets in ODI history, was Richards.
In 1999, Richards was knighted for his contributions to the game. Richards was voted one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Century by a 100-member panel of experts, in 2000. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
Sir Vivian Richards was an enigma! He was a rare combo. With his fearless batting he gave nightmares to bowlers and yet he remained one of the coolest cricketers ever.
It’s certain the cricketing world would have learned a lot from Viv Richards and they must be still learning from this cricketing legend-Concludes Renowned Sports Astrologer Hirav Shah.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Vivian Richards called sir?
Vivian Richards was knighted because of his immense contribution to Cricket since as a captain, of 50 Test matches he won 27 and lost only 8. He also made nearly 7,000 runs in ODIs and more than 36,000 runs in domestic cricket.
At what age did Viv Richards retire?
On August 12, 1991, Viv Richards retired at the age of 39.
Is Viv Richards better than Sachin?
Both are legends in their own way and they played at different times, hence its difficult to say who is better.
What is Viv Richards Highest Score?
189 in ODIs and 291 in Tests.
What is the Centuries Record of Sir Viv Richards?
Viv Richards has scored 24 centuries in Tests and 11 centuries in ODIs.
Which Team Sir Viv Richards Play For?
Sir Viv Richards played for the West Indies.
Height of Viv Richards
1.78 m
Viv Richards connection with Bollywood?
Neena Gupta’s live-in relationship with the cricketer became an open secret and the two had a child together in 1989, whom we all know as fashion designer Masaba Gupta today.
Viv Richards and Neena Gupta Affair
Neena was in a relationship with Vivian in the 1980s. They decided not to get married, even after they had their daughter, Masaba.
How is Masaba Gupta related to Viv Richards?
Masaba Gupta is the daughter of Indian actress Neena Gupta and West Indies cricketer Viv Richards, who never got married.
Why did Vivian not marry Neena?
Neena never married Richards and chose to raise Masaba as a single-mother in India. It was at that time she chose to move the family from New Delhi to Mumbai.
What is the story of Neena Gupta and Viv Richards?
The love story started when the West Indies team came to India for a series of matches and that’s when Viv Richards met actress Neena Gupta.
How did Viv Richards and Neena Gupta meet?
In the late 1980s, Neena Gupta and Vivan Richards’s romance brewed when the West Indian cricket team landed in India for a series of cricket matches.
Image Credit
balhead, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
