Chandu Borde, 91, is a former Indian cricketer who played for the national team during the 1950s and 1960s. As an all-rounder, he scored 3,061 runs and took 52 wickets in Test cricket. His first-class numbers read 12,805 runs and 383 wickets. Later, he served as the chief selector and manager of the Indian cricket team during various series. In a rare, candid conversation, he reflects on his storied cricket career and the game’s evolution.

Anuradha Mascarenhas: Cricket today has multiple formats, such as Tests, one-dayers, and T20s. What are your thoughts on these formats? Also, did you ever imagine you would captain India, and how did you experience the stardom that came with it?

Chandu Borde: Cricket has changed tremendously over the years. The popularity of formats like T20 and the IPL has transformed the game, making it more entertaining for spectators. One-day and T20 cricket are fast-paced, and all this is here to stay. Players today have many opportunities to showcase their talent, but they must continually adapt to the game’s ever-changing demands.

The competition is intense, and the media’s role has also grown enormously, creating significant hype and attention around cricket. Captaining India was a special achievement, and the level of stardom associated with cricket has always been remarkable. While players in our time also enjoyed tremendous recognition and support from fans, the game has evolved significantly. The growth of leagues like the IPL, extensive media coverage, and increased commercialisation have amplified cricket’s reach.

Today’s players enjoy greater visibility and opportunities, but there is probably more tension too in this kind of format, amongst bowlers, batsmen, and fielders, not to drop too many catches. But then also look at Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He got out in the 90s three times — 97, 96, 93. No pressure. He just played the same way. During our time in the 90s, we were very cautious. We used to take one run at a time.

Sandeep Dwivedi: You’ve seen all the greats — Sunil Gavaskar, Lala Amarnath, and you went on the first tour with Sachin Tendulkar. Now you’re talking about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. We’ve seen this guy hitting, but hardly any front-foot play. Mostly swinging the bat like a golfer. There’s a massive change in technique, isn’t it?

Chandu Borde: Well, Vaibhav’s technique is fantastic, I’ll tell you. It is more of reflexes. Otherwise, if you see, he doesn’t hit with a cross bat. He hits with a straight bat. That old technique is there. His reflexes are so fantastic, it’s unbelievable.

Therefore, I think that he connects the ball before the ball reaches. I think he’s one of those players who’s gifted with this kind of reflexes. This he must have developed from early on, since home practice. After that, it’s only the timing and the reflexes. But he’s not playing with a cross bat.

And this guy, it seems, if he gets this sort of match practice in Test cricket or nets, he will accommodate that kind of cross-batting shots and other things.

Because at the age of 16, I saw Sachin Tendulkar. He was with me in Pakistan. I was the manager, and he was one of the players. And he also developed his technique at the nets. And in the Sialkot Test, the groundsman had come to me and said- Sir, take this kid out now, we want to make a wicket. Same thing I find in this young boy, Vaibhav.

Sandeep Dwivedi: At a very young age, technique can be fine, but temperament and the mind will be very important — how he handles the fame. The way Sachin handled it is amazing, right?

Chandu Borde: One thing is that Sachin had very good advisors and played in Bombay with these big cricketers; their thinking and everything, he was sort of always with them. So he could pick up that very fast. But this boy, he didn’t have anything, still, he manages this kind of technique; his reflexes are so good, very good.

Sandeep Dwivedi: What is your memory of Sachin against Abdul Qadir — the kind of hitting which he did? That whole courage to step out and hit such legendary bowlers — do you see the same courage in Vaibhav also?

Chandu Borde: One thing I can tell about the reflexes — Sachin’s reflexes and his reflexes are slightly different, because this boy, on the front foot, the way he hits the sixers, that is something mind-boggling, really. And Sachin used to pick up the short-pitched ball or decide how to lift it. But this guy is right from the beginning, naturally — the moment the ball lands, his reflexes are there. I mean, at the first ball he hit this Bumrah for a sixer, I was just looking at the TV, and I was shocked, my mouth was open.

Sunanda Mehta: You had a long career. Have you seen a batting like Vaibhav’s?

Chandu Borde: Only once did I see a gentleman who came round the wicket and played the shot, and that was his own technique. And that was Mushtaq Ali. When the bowler took a start, Mushtaq Ali also used to do that. He could go down the wicket and play. That was his own style.

Manoj More: In case you were bowling to Sooryavanshi, what would you have done to control him?

Chandu Borde: I would think twice about whether to bowl to Sooryavanshi or not.

Manoj More: So, do you think Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be brought straight away into Test cricket or should we wait for another year so that he plays the Ranji Trophy?

Chandu Borde: That’s a debatable point. But if you ask me, Sooryavanshi should be tried straight away in Test cricket, not waited on. He looks more mature than the other batsmen to me.

Manoj More: Kapil Dev played more than 100 Tests. In only one Test in December 1984, he was dropped, and that time you were the chairman of the national selection committee. Kapil was dropped, apparently, because of one bad shot. Do you regret?

Chandu Borde: I know it was coming. That was the unfortunate incident I faced. That was the only one. Otherwise, my entire career as a cricketer has been absolutely non-controversial. But that particular incident was controversial. That time, yes, I was unhappy. I was not very pleased with that decision, but we had to make the decision, you know, all the other people were there.

Sunanda: I want to ask you about your unbeaten 177 against Pakistan.

Chandu Borde: Yes, with Polly Umrigar. It was a huge high, because at that time, these kinds of scores were not very common. 177 — that time.
But let me tell you: playing against Pakistan meant pressure. But we managed. This was in Madras- now Chennai.

And let me tell you, before that, in Bombay, Hanif Mohammed scored 160 against us, in the first Test match at Brabourne Stadium. And at that time, I, S Johar, the actor, announced in the press that whoever gets the maximum draw, he would gift Rs 10,000; at that time, just imagine. Because we used to get Rs 250 per Test match. And I got 177, so I was waiting for that money. I am still waiting!

Ajay Jadhav: Talking about your experiences playing matches with Pakistan. What kind of relations did you have with the Pakistan players? India has not played a Test match with Pakistan for a long time, so how do you look at it?

Chandu Borde: See, when we went to Pakistan and Sachin was also in that team, before that, our relation with Pakistan was a bit strained, you know, there was some issue politically. Therefore, there was a lot of security for us — good security. But they looked after us very nicely. That time, there was outside tension. But once you go on the field, you forget everything.

The entire tour went off peacefully. In fact, we drew the series on that Pakistan series. It was a tough series because they had great bowlers like Wakar, Imran and some great players, absolutely.

But I’ll tell you an incident in Karachi -I remember Azharuddin taking a very good catch of Javed. Now Javed is a very popular guy in Karachi. Azharuddin was at the boundary after that, and the crowd booed him, and somebody hit him with some metal sort of thing. That was an unfortunate incident.

Ajay Jadhav: Do you think India and Pakistan should resume playing cricket with each other?

Chandu Borde: That is up to the government. It would be good for cricket, but it’s a BCCI decision and a policy decision.

Sushant Kulkarni: You played cricket in an era when the game depended almost entirely on players’ skill, instincts and on-field decision-making. Today’s cricket, however, is heavily influenced by technology — from DRS and ball-tracking to data analytics. How do you compare these two eras?

Chandu Borde: Sometimes I also wonder how the game has changed. In our era, we had to rely on our instincts. Today’s players cannot just analyse their own game but also their opponents’ games. They can analyse each shot played and each ball bowled, and go back to every decision made.

Soham Shah: You mentioned that Sharad Pawar, who was then heading the BCCI, called you in 2007 to become the team manager.

Chandu Borde: That was 2007. So, there was a call from Ratnakar Shetty in Delhi. He was the secretary (of the BCCI) at that time. And then he asked, ‘Have you got a passport?’ I said, ‘Yes, I have got a passport’.

Then he said, “You’ll get a call shortly.” As I was about to have my lunch, I got a call. “Chandu, you are going as a manager of the Indian team to England.” And that was Mr Sharad Pawar, who was the board president, and their meeting was taking place in Delhi at that time. I was totally taken aback. But that was quite a pleasant surprise to me.

In 2007, we beat England in England. At that time, we had not beaten England in England. That was the first time we had beaten them — and the last time too, till now. The 2007 series was a great victory for us — almost like a World Cup victory, I would say.

Another interesting memory is of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. We were in Australia to play against them, and in the evening, I think this was at Brisbane or Melbourne, there was a winning get-together. During that time, Pat told me that – ‘when all these press people come for an interview or to ask some questions, just ask me when I’m going back to India’. I said, “Why?” You just ask, he replied. So the party was going on, you know, the snacks and drinks were served and some reporters were there. Pat just winked at me. So I went there.

I said, ‘Yes, Pat, when are you going back to India?’ He said, ‘Tomorrow’. The press was surprised — why is he going back to India so soon? He added then – ‘Oh, my wife’s birthday is there and I will come back after that’, so the press carried – that pat was flying all the way back for his wife’s birthday. So that’s what happens in cricketers’ lives.

Soham Shah: Kapil Dev recently said in an interview that, in a Test match in Mumbai, you were the manager and India won. You told Kapil Dev that you were going back to your house in Pune. And Kapil Dev met you again after some time and asked, ‘Chanduji, why are you still here?’ So you told him that the board secretary was sleeping, and that after he woke up, he would give you the daily allowance.

Chandu Borde: Yes, this was in Mumbai. We had to stand in line for the money after the match, and this Board secretary from the army, I think he was given that job, to look after the officials and their money matters. At that time, you had to wait for the daily allowance to even go back. Kapil Dev and others — they saw us waiting. Kapil was furious and put a stop to this practice. He has really fought for other cricketers and for us also. He is a gentleman.

Anuradha Mascarenhas: You are a super-ager and remain remarkably active. How do you stay fit?

Chandu Borde: What helps me most is maintaining a routine. Every evening, I go to the Poona club and spend some time walking. I usually get there around 5.30 pm, take a good look around the grounds, and then sit with my friends at the club for half an hour or so.

Social interaction is just as important as physical activity. Apart from that, I keep myself engaged with everyday responsibilities. Sometimes I have to visit the bank, run personal errands, go to the shops, or attend to family matters. Staying occupied, physically active and socially connected keeps both the body and mind healthy.

Sunanda: So, at 91, what advice would you give to the young cricketers of today about how to handle pressure and the ups and downs?

Chandu Borde: Today, cricket is very challenging, very competitive. The cricket bodies are doing a lot for the game. And look at how the women are playing. I’m amazed. Sometimes I see them, you know, taking catches, or the way they are bowling — hats off to them. There are many challenges for you and future players. So whoever performs well will get the opportunity, and they will have to work hard.