On Friday, October 31, Mohammad Azharuddin, a senior Congress leader and former Indian cricket captain, was sworn in as a minister in the Telangana state government, which is led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. At Hyderabad’s Raj Bhavan, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma gave Azharuddin the oath of office and secrecy.
The Chief Minister, cabinet colleagues, State Assembly Speaker G. Prasad Kumar, leading Congress politicians, government advisors, and a number of senior IAS and IPS officers were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
“CM Revanth Reddy has consistently been a strong advocate for me. It’s October 31 today, and I made my cricket debut on December 31 as well. Azharuddin told NDTV, “It feels like destiny coming full circle.”
Before entering the public eye, Azharuddin, who was born in Hyderabad on February 8, 1963, ascended from modest beginnings to become one of India’s most graceful and successful cricket players. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Nizam College after completing his education at All Saints High School in Abids.
When Azharuddin first played for India in 1984, he created a record by making hundreds in each of his first three Test matches against England.
This marked the beginning of a 16-year career. He went on to play 334 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 99 Test matches, winning worldwide praise for his calm leadership and wristy stroke play. He was named captain of the Indian squad in 1989 and served in that capacity for several years.
Azharuddin amassed 6,215 runs at an outstanding average of 45.03 in 99 Test matches during his storied international career. He scored 9,378 runs in 334 One Day Internationals (ODIs), demonstrating exceptional consistency in all forms. During his tenure with the Indian team, he amassed 29 hundreds and 79 half-centuries.
Azharuddin retired from cricket to pursue a career in politics. He joined the national party that was in power at the time on February 19, 2009, and ran successfully in the Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, that same year.
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