Dilip Vengsarkar

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Dilip Vengsarkar India (Ind)

Batting style	Right-handed batsman (RHB)
Bowling type	Right-arm medium (OB)
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	116	129
Runs scored	6868	3508
Batting average	42.13	34.73
100s/50s	17/35	1/23
Top score	166	105
Overs bowled	6.5	1
Wickets	0	0
Bowling average	-	-
5 wickets in innings	0	0
10 wickets in match	0	N/A
Best bowling
Catches/stumpings	78/0	37/0
As of July 6, 2005 Source: Cricinfo.com

Dilip Balwant Vengsarkar pronunciation (help·info) (born April 6, 1956 in Rajapur, Maharashtra) was an Indian cricketer. He was one of the most stylish batsmen of his time, known as one of the foremost exponents of the drive. He was also known by the nickname 'Colonel'.

Vengsarkar made his international cricket debut against New Zealand at Auckland in 1975-76 as an opening batsmen. India won this Test handsomely, but he did not have much success.

He was a member of the 1983 World Champion's team. He had a magnificent run of scores between 1985 and 1987, where he scored centuries against Pakistan, Australia, England, West Indies and Sri Lanka, many of them in successive games. At this pinnacle of his career, He was rated as best batsmen in the Coopers and Lybrand rating (a predecessor of the PWC ratings).

While the West Indies pacemen dominated the cricket world, Dilip Vengsarkar was one of the few batsmen who was successful against them, and scored 6 centuries against the likes of Marshall, Holding and Roberts.

He also scored a century at Lord's in 1986 and thereby attaining the distinction of scoring three consecutive Test match centuries at Lord's. For his effort to help India win the Test series in England (a rare feat in itself) he was awarded the Man of the Series award. He was also nominated one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1987. For Test matches played in India, he has one of the highest batting averages.

Vengsarkar took over the captaincy from Kapil Dev after the World Cup 1987, despite criticism that he missed the all important semi-final match due to a stomach disorder resulting from sea food allergy. Though he started with two centuries in his first series as captain, his captaincy period was turbulent and he lost the job following a disastrous tour of the West Indies in early 1989 and a stand-off with the Indian cricket board (BCCI).

For his contribution to the Indian cricket the Government of India decorated him with the Padma Shri honor.

As of September 2006, Mr. Vengsarkar has accepted the job of the head of the selectors in the BCCI