Sanjeev Sharma
A seam bowler who briefly shone for India, he later shaped future stars as a coach and built a business beyond the boundary.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Indian cricketer·Birthday: August 25·Generation X
Biography
Sanjeev Sharma emerged from Delhi's competitive cricket scene in the late 1980s, stepping onto the international stage as a right-arm medium pacer with a knack for breaking partnerships. His Test debut against New Zealand in 1988 was promising, but his career unfolded during a period of transition for India's pace attack, limiting his opportunities to just two Tests. Sharma found a more consistent role in the one-day side, contributing with his tidy bowling across 23 matches. After retiring from first-class cricket in 2004, he didn't leave the game behind. He channeled his experience into coaching, mentoring young talents at the National Cricket Academy and later with the Indian women's team, while also establishing himself as a successful entrepreneur. His journey reflects the path of many professional athletes: a moment in the spotlight followed by a lasting legacy built through guidance and enterprise.
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.
Sanjeev was born in 1965, 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 Sanjeev Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Sanjeev's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
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
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Took three wickets for 37 runs on his Test debut for India against New Zealand in 1988.
- Played 23 One Day Internationals for India between 1988 and 1990.
- Served as a bowling coach for the Indian national women's cricket team.
- Built a post-cricket career as an entrepreneur and cricket commentator.
Did You Know?
He was one of several bowlers tried as an opening partner to the great Kapil Dev in the late 1980s.
His first-class career spanned nearly 20 years before his retirement in 2004.
He was part of the Indian squad that won the 1989-90 Asia Cup.
“My job was to bowl a tight line and let the pitch do the talking.”
