Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards KNH KCN OBE OOC, is a retired Antiguan cricketer who represented the successful West Indies cricket team from 1974 to 1991. Famous for his powerful batting, Richards considered by many to be one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport. sport.
Playing at number three in a formidable West Indies side, Richards helped his team win the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cups. His exceptional performances in these prestigious events cementing his legacy as an all-time great.
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- Full name: Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards KNH OBE OOC Industrial Park
- Stage name: Viv Richards
- Date of birth: March 7, 1952
- Age: 72 years old
- Birthplace: Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda
- Nationality: Antiguan
- Occupation: Retired Antiguan cricketer
- Height: 1.78 m
- Parents: Malcom Richards and Gretel Richards
- Siblings: Mervyn Richards and Donald Richards
- Spouse: Miriam Richards
- Partner: Neena Gupta
- Children: Masaba Gupta, Mali Richards and Matara Richards
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: 30 million USD
Early life and education
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards KNH KCN OBE OOC was born on 7 March 1952 in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. He is the son of Malcom Richards and Gretel Richards, and has two brothers: Mervyn Richards, a former international footballer and cricketer, and Donald Richards, a first-class cricketer.
Richards attended St. John’s and received a scholarship to Antigua Grammar School, where he developed his sporting talent. Viv Richards is of black Caribbean ethnicity, specifically Antiguan, and he follows Christianity as his religion.
Career
Viv Richards made his first-class debut in January 1972 at the age of 19. This debut came in a non-competitive match, where he represented the Leeward Islands against Windwards, scoring 20 and 26 runs. run. Just two years later, in 1974, Richards went on to make his much-anticipated Test debut against India, alongside fellow West Indian great Gordon Greenidge.
The best years of Richards’ illustrious career were from 1976 to 1983, when he averaged a remarkable 66.51 with the bat in Test cricket. During this peak, he established himself as one of the most dominant and feared tennis players in the world. However, in 1984, Richards contracted a condition called pterygium and had to have eye surgery, which unfortunately affected his vision and reflexes.
Despite this defeat, Richards remained one of the best batsmen in the world for the remaining four years of his career, although his average in the second half was significantly lower than in the first. In his overall Test career, he scored an impressive 8,540 runs in 121 matches at an average of 50.23, surpassing the previous combined record held by the legendary Garfield Sobers.
As captain, Richards led the West Indies team to great success, winning 27 of 50 Test matches and losing only eight. His skills as captain, combined with his batting skills peerless, cemented his status as one of the team’s all-time greats. game.
Richards’ contributions to cricket were recognized in 1999 when he was knighted for services to the sport. In 2000, he was voted by a panel of 100 experts as one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Century, and in 2002 he was chosen by Wisden as the One Day International’s greatest batsman and the third greatest test cricket batsman by Wisden.
Towards the end of his career, Richards returned to county cricket in 1990 to play for Glamorgan, helping the team win the AXA Sunday League in 1993. His impact on the sport was further cemented in 2009 when he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
In 2013, Wisden selected the best Test team in its 150-year history and placed Richards at number 5, one of only two post-war batsmen, along with Sachin Tendulkar, to feature in the prestigious team there.
Awards and nominations
Cricket Awards and Honors:
- Cricketer of the Year: 1976
- ICC Cricket Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2014
- Order of the British Empire (OBE): Awarded in 1987
- Knight of the National Hero (KNH): Awarded in 2006
- Order of the Caribbean Community (OOC): Awarded in 2022
Social Media
- Instagram handle: @officiallyvivian
- Facebook administrator: Sir Vivian Richards
- Twitter name: @ivivianrichards
Personal life
Viv Richards is married to Miriam Richards, with whom he has two children, including their sons Mali Richards, who also plays first-class cricket, and Matara Richards.
In addition to his marriage, Richards also had a prominent relationship with Indian actress Neena Gupta. This relationship led to the birth of their daughter, fashion designer Masaba Gupta. Although Richards and Gupta are not married, they maintain a positive relationship and continue to co-parent their daughter Masaba.
Net worth
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, also known as Viv Richards, is a very famous cricketing legend with an estimated net worth of around $30 million as of 2023.
His considerable wealth can be attributed to his successful and illustrious cricket career, lucrative endorsement deals and various business ventures undertaken after his retirement. During his playing days, Richards established himself as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.
