Published: November 1, 2026 at 8:07 am
The batter whom Brett Lee is awed by is Hyderabad’s own VVS Laxman, who will celebrate his 52nd birthday on November 1, 2026. Lee, one of Australia’s greatest fast bowlers, once remarked: “If you get Rahul Dravid, it’s great. If you get Sachin Tendulkar, it’s brilliant. But if you get VVS Laxman, it’s a miracle.”
Magic of wrists and discipline that marked Laxman’s Very Very Special career
It is not only Brett Lee who had such a high opinion of Laxman. After his mammoth 281 at the Eden Gardens in 2001, many of Australia’s leading bowlers of those days, developed an apprehension about bowling to Laxman.
Laxman was born on 1 November 1974 in Hyderabad and in his autobiography titled ‘281 And Beyond’, the right-handed bat has provided readers with interesting anecdotes about his childhood years and his gradual transition into one of India’s leading cricketers. It was his uncle Baba Krishna Mohan who used to encourage and guide him towards cricket when he was growing up. His uncle was a left-arm seamer who was coached by AR Bhupathi at the same time as Hyderabad’s well-known players MV Narasimha Rao, P Jyoti Prasad, V Manohar and John Manoj.
A meeting with Pakistan’s greatest legends
“All the boys in my residential complex named Nandanam, used to go to a nearby ground with their bats and balls and play cricket. In the third floor of our B Block, in flat 301, there lived a lady named Mrs. Khan. She was a cousin of Pakistani cricketer Asif Iqbal who used to reside in Hyderabad long ago. In 1980, when the Pakistani cricket team arrived in Hyderabad to play against South Zone, several of the visiting players came to Mrs Khan’s flat for dinner one night. Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas and others were present,” Laxman says about his childhood in his book.
“I had already fallen asleep when my mother woke me up and bundled me off to the house of Mrs. Khan. The lady told the Pakistani players about my cricketing skills and made me take their autographs. I was still sleepy but nevertheless, I was thrilled to meet international level players.”
VVS Laxman with head coach K John Manoj at the St John’s Sports Academy in Marredpally, Hyderabad
Speaking about his experience of playing in the leagues for the first time Laxman writes: “When I was in the 8th standard, I registered with the Marredpally Colts CC which was in the D3 division of the HCA league. But I found it hard to get a place in the playing eleven. However, I used to turn up every Sunday to carry drinks and be useful in various ways. Mr Randolph Sallins, who was in charge of the club, noticed my dedication and made sure that I got a chance to play finally. I scored 52 and that made Uncle Randy happy.”
Name first appeared in headlines of Deccan Chronicle
When he was 13-years-old, Laxman was selected to play for the Nutrine Trophy in Vijayawada. He scored an outstanding 150 but his parents who were in Hyderabad, got to know of it only the next morning when the Deccan Chronicle put the news in bold headlines that read: Laxman Slams 150. “My uncle told me later that he and my parents were delighted to see my name in the newspaper,” Laxman wrote.
Laxman made his Ranji Trophy debut for Hyderabad in the 1992-93 quarterfinals against Punjab, but scored 0 and 17. However, very soon, he became one of the most prolific batters on the domestic scene, earning a Test cap for the home series against South Africa in 1996. He made his debut in the first Test at Ahmedabad, scoring a second-innings half-century in India’s victory.
VVS Laxman with Mohd Azharuddin, Noel David and Venkatapathi Raju
His maiden Test hundred came on January 4, 2000, against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). He scored 167 runs with 16 boundaries against an attack that contained Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Damien Fleming. After being hit on the helmet by a Glenn McGrath bouncer early in the innings, Laxman changed his approach and achieved a career-defining milestone. India lost the match by an innings and 141 runs, but the knock established Laxman as a world-class talent.
Ashok Singh suggested a new stance which proved beneficial
About the revival of fortunes in his batting, Laxman wrote: “I reworked my technique and adopted a second stance which became my ally till my retirement. It was Ashok Singh, my batting coach in Hyderabad, who suggested this. It involved widening the gap between my legs so that I had greater stability.”
https://x.com/sportsgullycric/status/2116714060351979698?a=sW2O7f1wtu5Dw0hb8dY&s=20
In the book Laxman goes on to write about daily practice at the Gymkhana ground, breaking for tea at the Paradise cafe nearby, and the fact that his captain Arshad Ayub was instrumental in turning him into a fighter.
Laxman’s opinion of his Hyderabad teammates
About his other teammates he writes: “Abdul Azeem was a dasher at the top of the order. MV Sridhar was the ultimate run accumulator and could grind the bowlers into the dust. Vivek Jaisimha was a flamboyant batter who had innate style while Kanwaljit Singh and Venkatapathi Raju were two of the best spinners I had ever seen. Then there were the hardworking RA Swaroop and MV Ramanamurthy.”
“The Hyderabad dressing room was a great example of camaraderie. The biggest pranksters were Doc Sridhar, Kanwal bhai, Rajesh Yadav, and Venkatapathi. But in my early years I was also fortunate to interact with ML Jaisimha sir. After a day’s play, we would all gather at his house in Marredpally. He left an indelible impact on us all with his incisive dissection of the game and his ability to cut to the chase without frills.”
Azhar was a big influence on Laxman
But long ago, when Laxman was trying to make a mark in domestic cricket, in one Ranji Trophy match against Andhra he was stranded on 96 not out. On that occasion, Azharuddin had gifted Laxman an India tee-shirt. “You have a great future,” were Azhar’s prophetic words to Laxman.
VVS Laxman at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru
“Azzu bhai was a big influence on me. We all were captivated by his stroke play and also motivated by his work ethic. His emphasis on fitness and fielding had a big effect on all those around him. Azzu bhai was always careful about what he ate and his attention to detail was amazing. After a hard practice session, he would often stay back on the ground and take upto 100 catches. We were inspired by his attitude,” Laxman wrote in his book.
Laxman now serves as the Head of the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) and is stepping into a newly created, high-level role as the Director of Cricket for the BCCI. Knowing his commitment to his job and his sincerity, he is the right man for the task. He is likely to serve Indian cricket in a big way in the future.
