Chetan Chauhan
The steadfast opening partner to Sunil Gavaskar, he later carved a significant second act in Indian politics and public service.
1947–2020 (age 73)·Indian cricketer·Birthday: July 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chetan Chauhan’s story is one of quiet resilience and a dual legacy. On the cricket field, he was the stoic, gritty foil to the masterful Sunil Gavaskar, forming India's most dependable opening pair of the late 1970s. While his Test average was modest, his value lay in his unflappable temperament, often blunting the new ball to pave the way for others. His career, spanning 40 Tests, was defined by this selfless role. After retiring, Chauhan didn't fade from public life. He leveraged his sporting fame and personal integrity to enter politics, serving two terms in India's Lok Sabha and later as a state minister for sports in Uttar Pradesh. His tenure as Chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology was an unexpected but earnest chapter. Chauhan passed away in 2020 from COVID-19 complications, remembered as a man who served his country with the same dogged determination he showed at the crease.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chetan was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chetan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Chetan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Died at 73
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Opened the batting for India in 40 Test matches, forming a famous partnership with Sunil Gavaskar.
- Served as a member of the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament, elected from Amroha in 1991 and 1998.
- Held the cabinet position of Minister for Youth and Sports for the state of Uttar Pradesh from 2018 until his death.
- Appointed Chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) for a one-year term in 2016.
Did You Know?
He never scored a Test century; his highest score was 97, a feat he achieved twice.
He played first-class cricket for three different teams: Maharashtra, Delhi, and Assam.
He was one of the few Indian cricketers to have also served as a member of parliament.
“My job was to blunt the new ball and let the strokeplayers play.”
