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V. V. S. Laxman

V. V. S. Laxman

Former India batsman famous for his 281 against Australia

1 November 1974 India Verified by our editors
Age
51 yrs
Birthday in 4 days
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Career highlights
Honours
2
Most recent 2011
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V. V. S. Laxman is a former India batsman known for his wristy elegance and his performances under pressure. His 281 against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 is regarded as one of the greatest innings in Test history. He later headed India’s National Cricket Academy.

Biography

Cricket over medicine

Laxman, a relative of former India captain M. L. Jaisimha, had a place to study medicine but chose cricket. He made his Test debut in 1996 against South Africa.

281

In the Kolkata Test of March 2001, India were forced to follow on against Steve Waugh’s Australians, who had won 16 Tests in a row. Laxman scored 281 and added 376 with Rahul Dravid, and India won by 171 runs — only the third time a team had won a Test after following on. Wisden later ranked the innings among the greatest of all time.

Mr Dependable

He tormented Australia throughout his career, with centuries at Sydney and Adelaide, and was known for guiding India home in tight fourth-innings chases, often with the tail. He scored 8,781 runs in 134 Tests before retiring in 2012.

After playing

Laxman became a commentator and IPL mentor and in 2021 was appointed head of the National Cricket Academy (now the BCCI Centre of Excellence) in Bengaluru, also coaching India on several tours. He received the Padma Shri in 2011.

Timeline

  1. 1974

    Born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana)

  2. 1996

    Test debut

  3. 2001

    281 at Kolkata

  4. 2004

    178 at Sydney

  5. 2010

    Wins Mohali Test with the tail

  6. 2011

    Padma Shri

  7. 2012

    Retires

  8. 2021

    Head of the National Cricket Academy

Awards and honours

  • Arjuna Award

    2001

  • Padma Shri

    2011

Did you know?

  1. 1

    He chose cricket over a career in medicine.

  2. 2

    His 281 came after India had been asked to follow on.

  3. 3

    Commentators nicknamed him “Very Very Special” after his initials.

Connections

Frequently asked

Who is V. V. S. Laxman?

V. V. S. Laxman is a former India batsman known for his wristy elegance and his performances under pressure. His 281 against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 is regarded as one of the greatest innings in Test history. He later headed India’s National Cricket Academy.

How old is V. V. S. Laxman?

V. V. S. Laxman is 51 years old, born on 1 November 1974 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana).

Where is V. V. S. Laxman from?

V. V. S. Laxman was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana).

What is V. V. S. Laxman known for?

V. V. S. Laxman is best known for 281 at Kolkata in 2001; fourth-innings match-winning batting.

What awards has V. V. S. Laxman received?

Notable honours include Arjuna Award (2001), Padma Shri (2011).

References

  1. V. V. S. Laxman — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  2. V. V. S. Laxman — ESPNcricinfo player profile. ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  3. V. V. S. Laxman — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  4. V. V. S. Laxman (Q10233) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.

Includes material from the Wikipedia article “V. V. S. Laxman”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more

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“V. V. S. Laxman.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/v-v-s-laxman

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