Beginnings and Debut

In 1974, Richards played his first test against India. He averaged a phenomenal 66.51 with the bat in test cricket throughout his greatest years, which were from 1976 to 1983. Although he was the best batsman in the world for the following four years and averaged 50 in those four years as well, his eyesight and reflexes began to deteriorate in the last couple of years, when he averaged only 40. In 1984, he had pterygium and underwent eye surgery, which negatively affected his eyesight and reflexes.

In the very first game of his Test debut against India in 1974, he scored an unbeaten 192 points. Two years later, in 1976, Richards amassed 1710 runs at an average of 90 from 11 Test matches, including 7 hundred. It was a record. When he hammered a century against England in 1986, he also achieved the record for the quickest Test century, doing it in just 56 balls.

Ascend to Glory

He led his team in 50 games, winning 27 of them, making him the only West Indies captain who has never lost a Test series.

The fastest Test century ever is still held by Sir Viv. This outstanding cricket performance against England in 1985 took just 56 balls. In front of his loving compatriots, it was created in Antigua. In a 1984 game against Australia, he also scored the fifth-fastest double-century, off 242 balls.

Richards returned to the crease during a pause for poor lighting during a match against Zimbabwe during the 1983 Cricket World Cup and unintentionally took a strike at the incorrect end, which is still an extremely uncommon occurrence.

Statistics and Records

In 121 Test matches over the course of his Test career, he amassed 8,540 runs at an average of 50.23. (including 24 centuries). Between 1977 and 1979, Richards also had 5 centuries in World Series Cricket. These are not acknowledged as "official" Test hundreds by the ICC.

Richards was a successful Test captain, losing just 8 of his 50 games. In addition, he is the author of the 56-ball century against England in Antigua during the 1986 tour that ranks as the second-fastest Test century ever. In test cricket, he hit 84 sixes. Along with Ramnaresh Sarwan, he ranks sixth on the list of the top individual West Indies scores with his highest innings of 291.

Richards became the first batsman to reach a century in a Test with a strike rate over 150 in 1986. He was the first player in ODI history to record both a 1000-run total and 50 wickets. Holds the highest individual ODI score record when batting at 4th position (189*).

Career Journey

The cricketing accomplishments of Sir Vivian throughout the 17 years he played on the international scene are incredible. He rose to become the primary pillar in the Clive Lloyd-built stronghold of Caribbean cricket, dominating the game for an unparalleled two decades.

Both versions of the games were won by Sir Viv. He instilled fear in the hearts of professional bowlers by playing every trick in the book and, audaciously, inventing some of his own. For thirty years, he held the record for the most runs in a single year. This record was achieved over the course of 19 innings in three different Test matches, including one in England and two in the West Indies against a deadly Indian spin quartet and Australia's most hostile bowlers at the time.

Honors and Awards

Richards received the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1994 for his contributions to cricket. His homeland Antigua and Barbuda honored him with the title of Knight of the Order of the National Hero (KNH) in 1999.

In his honor, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, was named. For the 2007 Cricket World Cup, it was constructed.