West Indies legend Sir Garry Sobers dies at 89

West Indies cricket legend Sir Garry Sobers, one of the greatest all-rounders, died at 89. He scored 8,032 runs, took 235 wickets, and made history with record-breaking performances.

Written by Sports Desk

July 17, 2026 21:10 IST

Sir Garry Sobers in his pomp playing for the West Indies against England, on his way to an unbeaten 163 at Lord’s in June 1966. Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

West Indies cricket legend Sir Garry Sobers, widely regarded as one of the game’s greatest all-rounders, died on Friday at the age of 89.

A career filled with records

The Barbadian legend, who would have turned 90 on July 28, represented the West Indies in 93 Tests between 1954 and 1974.

He scored 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, including 26 centuries, and claimed 235 wickets with his versatile left-arm bowling.

Sobers announced himself on the international stage with an unbeaten 365 against Pakistan in 1958. The innings remained the highest individual score in Test cricket for 36 years before Brian Lara surpassed it in 1994.

He also became the first batter to hit six sixes in a six-ball over in first-class cricket, achieving the feat for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in 1968. An exceptional batter, bowler and fielder, Sobers was widely considered the most complete cricketer of his generation.

He was knighted in 1975 for his services to cricket and inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

This article was first uploaded on July seventeen, twenty twenty-six, at ten minutes past nine in the night.