Chetan Sharma

Chetan Sharma (born 3 January 1966) is an Indian former cricket player who played Tests and ODIs as a fast bowler for Indian cricket team.

In November 2022, he was sacked from the position of BCCI national chief selector after team India's exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup. Later BCCI re-appointed him. That defeat started a chain of defeats for Indian cricket team in Sharjah.

1987 World Cup In the Reliance World Cup in 1987, Sharma took the first hat-trick in the history of tournament when he clean bowled Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield of New Zealand off consecutive balls.

Post World Cup He played the most noted innings of his career against England in the Nehru Cup in 1989. Sent in at No.3 with India facing a target of 256, he scored 101* in 96 balls, completing his hundred with the match-winning run. He made another important contribution in India's win against Australia in the next match, sharing an unfinished partnership of 40 runs with Manoj Prabhakar and ending the match with a six. But his bowling had waned considerably and he was excluded from the tour of Pakistan a few weeks later.

Late career Sharma received few opportunities thereafter. In one of his last international appearances, against New Zealand in a three nations tournament in 1994 he ended up with figures of 1–0–23–0 after being hit for five fours off consecutive balls by Stephen Fleming. He moved from Haryana to Bengal in 1993 and stayed there till the end of his career in 1996.

After cricket After his retirement, Chetan became a cricket commentator. He opened a Fast bowling cricket academy in Panchkula in Haryana in 2004 which closed down in 2009. Chetan is the nephew of the former Indian cricketer Yashpal Sharma.

Political career

Chetan contested the Lok Sabha (2009) polls from Faridabad on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket. He came 3rd polling 18.2 percent votes. He subsequently joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), and was appointed party's sports cell convener.

As Chief selector

In December 2020, he was elected as chairman of the selection committee of Indian cricket team. Later in November 2022, he was sacked from the position after team India's exit from the T20 Cricket World Cup.

Controversy and resignation In February 2023, he courted controversy when he got filmed in a sting operation which alleged that Indian cricketers take injections to expedite their return to the national team, despite being only 80 to 85% fit; he also revealed that Virat Kohli lied to media in 2021 that BCCI removed him from ODI captaincy without discussing to defame then BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. He resigned from the post of chief selector a few days after the release of sting operation.