Chetan Sharma
He stunned the cricketing world by taking the first-ever World Cup hat-trick, a feat that etched his name into Indian sports history.
Born 1966 (age 60)·Indian cricket player and politician·Birthday: January 3·Generation X
Biography
Chetan Sharma burst onto the international scene as a young, wiry fast bowler from Haryana, bringing a spark of aggression to the Indian attack in the mid-1980s. His career is often defined by a single, magical over in Nagpur during the 1987 World Cup, where he dismissed three New Zealand batsmen with consecutive deliveries, achieving a historic first. Beyond that iconic moment, he was a vital component of the team that clinched the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia. His playing days were a mix of fiery spells and frustrating injuries, but his post-retirement life has been equally active, transitioning into cricket commentary, administration, and even a foray into politics, serving as a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly. Sharma's journey reflects the dramatic arc of a sportsman who touched a pinnacle of instant fame and then navigated the long path that follows.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chetan was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chetan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Chetan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
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
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in a Cricket World Cup, achieving it against New Zealand in 1987.
- Was part of the Indian squad that won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia.
- His 1987 hat-trick was also the first by an Indian bowler in One Day International cricket.
- Represented India in 23 Test matches and 65 ODIs between 1983 and 1994.
Did You Know?
He famously dismissed Pakistan's Javed Miandad with the last ball of a tight Austral-Asia Cup final in 1986, a match India won by one wicket.
After retirement, he served as a selector for the Indian national cricket team.
He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Haryana for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“A hat-trick in a World Cup is something you can't plan for; it just happens.”
